twisted
by FivePastTwo
Summary: What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted. / / Chain Pair / / Fem!KuraxKuro/ / .
1. Chapter 1

Twisted

What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted. Chain Pair Fem!KuraxKuro

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Prolouge

She finally awakened from her slumber. She broke out in sweat and gasped handfuls of air. The nightmare seemed so vivid. Burned down houses with bodies of her dead clan scattered around, all of them had their bodies in grotesque angles, some bodies lacked limbs while others had gaping holes in them. They put up quite the fight but their efforts were useless as everybody was still wiped out. Kurapika could remember the faces of her friends, her family. They suffered so much before death was given to them. Her anger boiled when she saw what this massacre was all about. She looked at their eyeless sockets caked with dried blood.

Bile rose up her throat but she stopped herself instead she felt her anger rise again. But as she turned to the mirror in front of her, her eyes remained its natural aquamarine color. She controlled that too, her scarlet eyes. Being the last Kuruta meant strict self-preservation. Kurapika sighed and fell back on her pillow. It had been a year since she last saw the Genei Ryodan, six years after the massacre. She touched her chest directly above her beating heart. The steady sound comforted her and she knew the judgement chain was still intact.

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Chapter 1

Three months later

Being a black list hunter meant vigorous on-the-site work that meant dirtying one's hands and sometimes lowering a person's own morale. Kurapika lived by strict rules, eager not to be like a heartless hunting machine. The deaths on her hands were few compared to some and she prepared it that way. What made the job harder was her gender, being female meant a lot more hardwork. Although Kurapika could more than take good care of herself, she found more comfort disguising herself as a boy and living as such. Not being a sexist or anything, Kurapika knew she would have more job opportunities dressed up as a boy rather than as a girl.

At first it was because of her plight for revenge that fueled her to chop her locks, but after more than five years of being a boy, sporting a short bob and boy clothes Kurapika found herself more comfortable that way.

A lot of things have changed since then.

She quit from being Neon Nostrad's head bodyguard in order to make it easier to locate her clan's eyes. With Neon's ability gone, Light Nostrad had been short in the money department and therefore can no longer afford auctions. But with Kurapika, money was not much of a problem with the help of her hunter x hunter card. And occasionally, Kurapika accepts freelance jobs for extra on the hand cash. Kurapika could not help but hear a nagging voice at the back of her head telling her to stop using her card too much and save some jennies that would be easily be accessible in times of trouble.

No matter how much Kurapika pushed the thought out of her mind, instincts took over. And right now, Kurapika is in the middle of a job: Hunting down a D class criminal escapee.

So far, Genpo (the known nickname of the crimina) was running loose for more than a fortnight already, killing a total of nine hunters who had the misfortune of trying to bring him back to the law, if he was wanted dead or alive, it would have been a different story entirely. It wasn't a pretty sight, the way he killed his pursuers. As a specialist, he had the ability to suck out a person's life force. At first Kurapika found the ability intriguing and later found out, the highprice of Genpo's ability is giving up part of the his own sanity. With more than nine dead people, Kurapika would not wonder if the criminal forgets his own name, she thought in distaste.

Kurapika sighed, she shouldn't have listened to that nagging voice and instead should have started looking for her dead tribe's eyes. She had been hunting Genpo for four days already, one of her colleague had lacked the value of teamwork and strategizing. He rushed head-on despite Kurapika's protests and ban to 'move without a plan', causing him his dear life. The reason Kurapika found out about the man's abilites was when she saw how her colleague died. He was all shrivelled up with early signs of decomposition.

With one already dead, Kurapika had a total of two more members. This time both her subordinates followed her word as law, never questioning it. They knew that in order to survive they need to follow the mysterious chain user.

The forest was dead silent, an indication of impending doom. Kurapika stayed glued on her spot. All of them in their Zetsu state while her chains where hidden with In. A breeze blew by her face and immediately Kurapika ducked. She heard a soft thud as something hit the tree trunk.

"Awwww, you ducked!" Came a cracked voice. "Now, I have to throw more things again! Guess you aint takin' a clue last nigh'"

Kurapika had no time to blink as she whipped her chains, deflecting the weapons hurled at her. They made more clinking sounds that seemed to infuriate her attacker. Using Gyo, Kurapika was able to see Genpo's unstable hatsu surrounding his stocky body. His mental stability was worse than what she had expected. He was laughing hysterically now.

Kurapika dematerialized her nen-chains, according to plan. Her attacker, though unstable, noticed her missing chains and grinned all the more. He mumbled a lot of things beneath his breath, while Kurapika prepeared for hand to hand combat.

As the bait, she had to lure the madman towards the clearing in the woods were her teammates could knock him out with their nen. It sounded relatively easy. But with Genpo's killer hatsu, Kurapika had to be careful not to let him touch her head.

That's what happened last night. Kurapika figured out how his nen worked, when Genpo touches a person's head the person's life force immediately goes out of their body until they become lifeless dolls. A simple tap on the head would more than suffice.

Genpo suddenly moved faster and Kurapika took a few steps back. Although Genpo could already be considered out of his wits, Kurapika would take no chances. She didn't want to clue Genpo about their plan to lure him into captivity. After all, he was needed alive.

Genpo swung his fists targeting her head and Kurapika deflected them and landed a kick in his chest. With her enhanced strength, Genpo doubled in on the pain and coughed more. Genpo raised his fists and immediately Kurapika hopped far away from him. A glance later showed a few nen blades sticking out from the ground she had once occupied. Kurapika narrowed her eyes at the discovery. That meant, Genpo had other nen abilities not recorded. This job just became harder. That explained why he was able to kill more than fourteen people.

".. Hehe..." Genpo gave a low chuckle while still gripping his side. He had at least five broken ribs from the kick Kurapika gave him. But looking at Genpo, he did not seem bothered by it. Instead he looked quite happy. He reminded her about a certain psychotic clown that had been her ally give or take a year ago, Kurapika frowned at the thought. "I'm going to suck the life out of ...you ... tonight."

He had trouble whizzing out the words and Kurapika fought the urge to roll her eyes. Perhaps when he was more sane than now, they would have fought to the death but in his current situation thanks to his multiple use of nen? He was only giving Kurapika a hard time. But not enough to make her fear for her life.

Kurapika felt a gentle breeze brush her face and this time she visibly relaxed. They were already in the clearing, with all the fuss she did not notice. Her teammate's nen coated Genpo and he was struggling to get free from the invisible net. She had yet the chance to tell her team about Genpo's other abilities when she felt sudden uneasiness in her chest. Like something was tugging at it. She looked at Genpo, maybe it was another of his nen abilities, but he was too busy trying to get out and hurl curses to cause this much pain. It felt new to her...

She raked her brain for possible explanations. Genpo wasn't able to touch her head or any part of her except for her arm. But even if they had contact she should have felt something right then and there. It couldn't be the jugdement chain in her heart. She never used the chail jain on Genpo.

The pain started to kick in and Kurapika had to hold her chest while she started to sweat. The tugging became harder and harder. Her teammates started to look concerned with how she was clucthing her chest. One of them started to move towards her while the other, Hideo, continued to guard a struggling Genpo with his nen. From the original four of them, Hideo and their dead comrade had been brothers and Hideo looked nothing but blood thirsty to avenge his fallen sibling, Kurapika wouldn't blame him if he killed their captive right then and their. She would know the feeling better than anybody else.

Kurapika started to see black with the pain as she clutched at it more. If it wasn't the chain in her heart, then Kurapika knew what it was. She started sending nen to the other judgement chain she procured. But the pain started to increase everytime she tried to strengthen it. The other force was stronger than she had ever anticipated. It came to the point where Kurapika stopped altogether sending more nen, it was useless reversing what was happening.

The other judgement chain she made was getting exorcised. Her shaking gradually stopped and her vision started to return. It felt like hours and days, for Kurapika time stopped. The pain started to lessen but Kurapika was in a moment of shock when it altogether ceased.

The other judgement chain that was recently exorcised belonged to only one person.

Kuroro Lucifer.

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Kuroro Lucifer smiled as he held his bandit's book in his hand. It's been too long since he last used his book and it felt nothing short of wondrous. A smile tugged at his lips as the person infront of him smiled as well.

"It would be an honor to join you... Danchou.." The orange haired man added. His tattoed arms flailing at his sides while he continued to grin at his new leader. He knew about the Genei Ryodan. It would be more than an honor to join this group of world famous terror, the riches and glory he will get would never come to him if he worked alone or with other second rate mafia groups.

"And I am grateful for your help." Kuroro gave one last stretch of nen before closing his book and whipping out his phone. His spiders would be more than eager to talk to him. Fifteen months is such a long time after all, they never foresaw that the chain-assasin's curse would take more than three months to exorcise. Such strong nen for somebody so young. And such rarity, it took a whole year to find somebody capable to removing the chain.

'Danchou!' Danchou!' Kuroro smirked, it had been too long since he last talked to his teammates, with the chain lifted, he could finally have contact with them. Their operations have lied low and stopped for awhile, they needed to regroup and wait for his return. From his informants, he found out his spiders have only made few small-scale thieveries the past year to support Ryuusegai, and a heroic deed in the NGL. But now that he is back, things are going to go back to the way they were.

"Shalnark... It's been long." There were shuffling sounds at the other line.

'Fifteen months, four days and ten hours, Danchou!' Shalnark whined. He regained his composure a second later, yet his excitement was still hard to contain, 'What are we going to do, Danchou?'

Kuroro eyed their new member who looked at him with excitement at the prospect of working alongside them in one sure world-terrorizing-scheme. "I will introduce a new member. And after that... We hunt the Chain-assasin."

'Nobu-san would be thrilled!' Shalnark continued to rumble on, 'He had bragged about new techniques on how to skin him while Feitan is also interested in torturing him for Paku."

So while he was in exile looking for an exorcist, his spiders had been busy learning new skills. They were caught of guard the first time they were attacked and now that they know better they are more than prepared to take on the Kuruta assasin.

"Two days from now, we meet at Dayoshinta." Kuroro gave his order, a reunion is, after all in the making. His final thoughts before he closed his phone were almost the same as all the other spiders' were.

That chain assasin is as good as dead.

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Gon, Killua and Leorio sat at Kurapika's small living room, they were drinking tea and eating sugar biscuits but their faces were weighted down with grim looks. Leorio, was the only one rumbling on what they should do after Kurapika told them about Lucifer's judgement chain.

"Don't worry about us, Kurapika. We can take them on!" Leorio failed at trying to look cheerful, they all know how deep their friend's problem was.

"I don't want you to get involved this time." Kurapika placed her tea cup sharply down the table. Anybody else would have jumped at the sound it made. Leorio looked ticked off with what his friend said while Gon and Killua started to protest. "They already know my face and my name."

"You mean to tell us, that woman...?" Gon was referring to Pakunoda, Kurapika then narrated how she felt the jugdement chain kill the woman only a few hours after they parted ways with her. Only one thought crossed her mind: She told the spiders everything.

"As we speak, I know I'm being hunted down." Leorio made more snickering sounds.

"That's why I am insisting for the four of us to stick together, just in case we have to fight them all!" Gon gave a determined smile at Kurapika while Leorio talked. Kurapika smiled sadly at them, although the four of them have evolved so much the past year, they still wouldn't put much of a fight against the Spiders at their current state. They still had to get stronger. With their combined powers and strength, they could only take down eight spiders, the remaining five would surely finish them off. It would be unfair for the three of them to have their lives robbed from them just because of their association with her and their sense of friendship to help her in her vendetta.

"I won't have you people killed." Kurapika snapped. She paused for a moment, it would be too painful to lose her friends. It would be like the massacre all over again. She inhaled sharply before continuing, "I am going away for awhile."

"You're going to hide?!" Leorio shrieked, he rumbled on and on about how much he did not expect this to happen. How the Kurapika he knew would never do such a thing. "And didn't you kill that Uvogin fellow?! He had to be the toughest guy, yet you killed him! And now? This?! You're running away!?"

When Leorio was done, he was huffing and short of breath.

"The last time Kurapika was able to kill one of them was because he took them by surprise. The spiders totally underestimated him." Killua pointed out. Everybody was silent after that. If the spiders knew how strong Kurapika was, they wouldn't have been too confident to leave Uvogin alone for long. "The only way you can kill another spider would be to assume a new identity altogether and catch them off guard again."

"When they split up looking for you, you'll have your chance!" Leorio beamed. His anger seemed to have rushed out of his system and he was currently thinking new ways to help Kurapika.

"A new ...identity?" Kurapika seemed uneasy with the suggestion, she had afterall assumed a whole new different identity because of vendetta, another one would be harder to get used too.

"You should dye your hair and continue wearing contact lenses." Leorio suggested, he tried to picture Kurapika with black hair and probably with longer locks.

"Or maybe you can dress up as a girl!" Gon suggested, both Killua and Leorio lit up at the suggestion. The spiders would never expect the chain- assasin to be a girl after all. Kurapika coughed a little and started to get red in the face.

"You don't want that? But I thought you played as a girl already" Leorio patted Kurapika's back. It was understandable, not a lot of guys would be willing to take on a female disguise for a whole amount of time. "Well, but you know... The spiders would never expect _that_."

"I am a _girl_." Kurapika practically hissed at their ears. After all the times they were together, she had assumed they knew her real gender. And they only refered to her as a 'he' and 'him' for formalities sake and habit, she never thought that they were refereing to her as a male because they obviously thought she was. Her disguise worked wonders, she should be happy at the realization but somehow she was embarassed. She was starting to get red in the face while her three friends looked like they swallowed something unagreeable.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...so..." Gon tried to break the silence first but none of his friends wanted to give in. Kurapika looked a little pissed while Leorio and Killua still looked completely shocked. It was really a revelation, after all the years they've been friends none of them have expected Kurapika to be a girl. They have had their doubts because she did possess a very feminine face to be counted as a boy, and now that the secret was out of the bag, it explained a lot about their blonde friend.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"If we stop thinking about my gender for a while," Kurapika growled at them. Her color started to return to its natural milky complexion while her friends started to get a grip on their expressions except for Leorio whom Kurapika pointedly ignored. "I plan to go to some remote village and plan. As you guys have suggested earlier, they will split up in groups then I can take them down one by one. After I have killed a spider, I will go to another place and wait."

"But we want to help you Kurapika!" Gon protested, "We'll go separate routes too and we'll help you eliminate them! We leave fake trails leading to us and we kill them."

"Gon's right, Kurapika. When they've scattered it would be a lot more easier for us." Killua backed up Gon. Sometimes it could be a chore trying to convince a mule-headed boy- erhm girl like Kurapika to change her mind.

"I won't have you guys killed on my account." Was Kurapika's answer again. "While it's true we have become stronger the past year, we also know that _they_ are evolving too. And isn't your brother part of them now, Killua?"

The boy seemed unfazed for the matter, he gave a carefree shrug. Killua knew none of them would have the heart to kill his youngest brother. And before that time comes, he'll tell Illumi to take back Kalluto back.

"Where do you plan on going then?... Wouldn't it be best if you take one of us to accompany you?" Even if it's Kurapika, the idea did not settle so well with Leorio for a girl to travel and live alone. Kurapika read his mind and gave him a cold glare that immediately shut him up. He still looked decided though, that at least one of them accompany their friend in her travels.

"When are you going to 'disappear'?" Killua asked.

"Tommorow." The sooner she moves away from Yorkshin the better. It would be the first place the Genei Ryodan would search. She last used her hunter card six days ago in Yorkshin as well. Her saved up jennies have amounted up to two hundred seventy thousand give or take. It would probably last for only half a year, nine months if she becomes thrifty.

"Damn.. And I've got an exam coming up." Leorio muttered under his breath. His hand was on his chin, he was lost in his thoughts. He was talking outloud and didn't notice that his friends heard him.

"We'll accompany you, Kurapika!" Gon stated enthusiastically. Killua looked enthusiastic as well but Kurapika had to turn them down. Gon was still searching for his father and now that they have a lead on where he was last seen, it would be a waste to let him slip out of their hands. Kurapika told them so and Gon could not help but sulk and understand her. They have agreed that they would remain in contact only once every four months, and they would be contact each other if anything happens. Key words only.

They left Kurapika's apartment hours later, giving each other words of 'take care' because God knows when they would next see each other.

The next day, Kurapika woke up earlier than usual. She looked around her small apartment that had been her home for the past months, taking everything in for the last time. She left a small white envelope containing her monthly due and a little extra for the kind old woman who owns the building. Next to the envelope was the key the old woman loaned her, she had to give that back.

Kurapika looked at the mirror hanging near the door and looked at her reflection for a long time, she looked a lot like her mother with her aquamarine eyes and blonde smiled wistfully at the thought. Her mother had been a kind, wonderful woman.

She opened the adjacent cabinet and got out a pair of familiar looking shears. Her hair had gotten longer, already past her chin. She was due for a haircut anyday now and now would be a better day than any other.

Kurapika was looking more and more like the girl that she was rather than the boy she portrayed to be. She lifted the scissors near her bangs when she remembered what Gon said last night. She had an inner battle. Kurapika the boy, had been strong and wise. She found comfort in him and kept her going, But ...now he is no longer safe..

With a sigh, she returned the scissors back inside the cabinet. Kurapika walked towards the door and opened it. She was shocked but not surprised to see a sleeping Leorio at her door embracing a bag fit for travel.

Leorio stirred when Kurapika closed the door. "Baka. You'll catch a cold."

"Yeah, I know. But if I'll ask you to let me in, you'll send me away." Leorio grinned. Kurapika went down the stairs with Leorio trailing at her side. She glared at him to explain. "We are worried about you, you know."

"I can handle myself pretty fine actually. You should go home and study. You want to be a doctor, right?" Kurapika huffed. They were walking away from her building now and turning to a corner. "You'll only get killed."

"Then that's better than knowing your bestfriend died without you giving any help when you know you could have done something!" Leorio almost snapped at Kurapika. He remembered his dead bestfriend and his vow never to let that happen again. He earned another glare with his outburst but Kurapika did not comment anymore. She knew she was stubborn and her friends sometimes more so than her. "Gon and Killua are coming to meet us in our second hide out. And we _are_ not listening to any of your protests."

He added before Kurapika had the chance to protest and give him another round of lecture about 'throwing away', 'life', 'no, thank you'.

Kurapika had to smile out of appreciation at the devotion of her friends. If her family were still alive, they would have been happy for her to have found such loyal friends, Pairo would have been happy as well. "Then what about med school? Don't tell me you're giving up on that."

"Che. Of course I'm not!" Leorio grinned and earned a playful punch on his shoulder. "I'm just postponing it for a bit. I'll still going study to become a world famous doctor, you'll see. But right now my bestfriend needs my help, and I'm giving it. Wanted or not."

"Wanted or not." Kurapika agreed and inwardly smiled. Kurapika made one more promise that morning, Leorio would become a doctor someday. She'll make sure of it.

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"He left approximately a week ago." Shalnark informed his teammates, the odd looking samurai looked murderous and kicked the nearest thing: a small cabinet. A pair of scissors flew out. "What do we do now, Danchou?"

All eyes turned to the man seating comfortably at the living room, his hand on his chin, his mind deep in thought. The chain-assasin must have known he was back and knew he was being hunted. The Kuruta was still one-step ahead of them. They have to close that gap.

"And I was expecting to torture him in his sleep." Nobunaga muttered darkly. Their team, composed of Kuroro, Machi, Nobunaga and Shalnark, had arrived at the Kuruta's said apartment only to find him gone. They had seen an envelope dated exactly a week ago explaining a quick departure with some money.

"He knows we are looking for him." Kuroro said, the boy must have felt the time when his jugdement chain was exorcised. "Where was the last time he used his hunter card?"

"Here in Yorkshin City, Danshou." Shalnark scrolled over his phone and lit up. "Precisely thirteen days ago."

"Tell the others to stop looking in Yorkshin." Kuroro got up from the small sofa. "We start looking in places as far from here as possible."

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A/N. This is the third story I've written so far and the second to see the light after Akame. :) it's been sitting around in my computer and I suddenly got enough nerves to post it. Haha, english is not my native tounge so I'm not that confident about my grammar and spelling. So all you grammar/spelling nazis out there, I'm sorry if my wording somehow irks you. You can post the needed corrections and I'll go fix them, and I'd be eternally grateful. :D Thank you for reading! It means a lot and if you could give a review? That would be super nice! :) and very much appreciated.

Love lots,

Five


	2. Chapter 2

Twisted

What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted.

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Chapter 2

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The blimp ride was exhausting, without their hunter card it became more expensive. They bought six more tickets leading to other places, to make it harder for them to be tracked down. Adding Kurapika and Leorio's jennies they had a shy sum of five hundred twenty jennies. Kurapika mentally added and subtracted their living expenses and had concluded they could live a humble lifestyle for about a year. Kurapika also promised to pay back the money Leorio 'lent' her, although he protested vehemently.

When they reached the station, both of them have both changed into new set of clothes. Leorio burned his old ones while Kurapika understandably held onto hers, it was one of the last mementos she had of her past. Leorio wore a sky-printed t-shirt and some distressed jeans, extremely far from his usual clothes. Kurapika on the other hand played into 'disguising as a girl' role well, she wore some light blue jeans and a blouse. Leorio tried to coax her into wearing a dress to make her more girly and less Kurapika-ish but the Kuruta fumed against it. A white blouse with a small pink ribbon in front was more than enough to identify her as a girl, she retorted. When they were done changing clothes they went on their way.

Both of them have walked the whole way careful not to leave any clues behind. They poised as siblings, although they lacked obvious physical similarities. Some inn keepers gave them haughty looks and deemed them as eloping lovers, much to their embarrassment. For two and a half weeks since they last left Yorkshin they traveled like that. It all seemed like a blur of routine, the non-stop walking sometimes not eating and sometimes sleeping on the mountains or in an inn if they were lucky to find any. They looked at the towns and found them lacking in some unpointable aspect. They found what they were looking for when they reached a humble town in the border of the NGL.

"Is this it Pika-chan?" Along they way, both of them had agreed to call each other by other names. Leorio would be called Onii-san or Leo-onii while Kurapika would be shortened to Pika. They had both annoying names, but thankfully they were finally getting used to it. They had a row about it that lasted for four days, Kurapika wanted to be called Pairo but she wouldn't respond to it fast enough, so Leorio went ahead and called her a shorter version of her name. A nickname, Leorio explained the Kuruta related and responded to.

"I think so, Leo-onii." The town looked very remote and almost all the villagers had stopped what they were doing to look at the two strangers. Leorio looked uncomfortable with the attention. He approached a thin looking man, who was stuttered and flustered at being called 'Mister' by one of the travelers.

"Just up ahead and down the stream. My sister lives there all by herself." The man bobbed his head, he even pointed to the direction where he'd been walking from. "You can ask her for a room. She's kind and would take you siblings on her wing."

"Thank you so much, Mister." Leorio beamed. He called over Kurapika then both of them were on their way towards the path the old man pointed them to. The trek was long and narrow but the outskirt looked beautiful in its contrast and it reminded Kurapika of the home she once had. They had bluebells like that too in the Kuruta village. They stopped when they finally saw a modest looking hut at the end of the road, with grey smoke blowing out of its small chimney. It had a small vegetable garden in front and some wild flowers at the side of the pathway.

"Home sweet home." Kurapika muttered beneath her breath. It wasn't meant to be sarcastic, she just missed having to call a place home. The sweet looking house became much more appealing when an old woman opened the door and started to sweep away imaginary dusts. She looked up when she noticed two strangers at the end of her path way. She smiled at them.

"Hello granny." Leorio greeted the old lady. She beamed at them and invited them even without knowing their names. They were seated at the warm fireplace and were given warm cake and sweet tarts to eat. "My name is Leo and this is my sister Pika. And we thank you very much for your hospitality!"

Both of them gave low bows and the woman waved them off with a hearty laugh, "I love visits from young people like you."

"Grandmother," Kurapika gently placed the teacup on the small wooden center table and looked at the old woman with as much politeness she could muster. "Could we please stay here a bit?"

The old woman gave them a sincere knowing smile, "Of course. Stay as long as you want, I always have a spare room ready."

"Thank you Granny! We'll help you with work around the house, so please treat us like hardworking grandchildren!" Leorio promised the old woman. He could already see dozens of things the old woman would need a hand with. Like the hole in the roof, the firewood supply and other jobs old ladies would have a hard time doing.

The old woman eyed them with glitters on her eye; she seemed like an odd old woman. Two days after that, Kurapika was peeling potatoes with the old Grandmother for their dinner. They heard the thump of footsteps against the floorboard and Leorio went inside the kitchen a second later bringing more firewood he had gathered just outside the house, he shot a small smile at Kurapika, which the girl acknowledge with a nod. Leorio left as swiftly as he had come.

"You're not really siblings, are you?" The grandmother placed down the knife she was holding to look at her young guest with an interested gleam on her eye. When Kurapika did not answer her and was red, the old woman took it the wrong way and continued, "Pish posh. You people are not the only couple I hid in my humble abode. Nor would you be the last."

"We're not..." Kurapika denied, but the old woman was not giving her any room to explain. She was babbling on and on how lovely it was to be so young and in love.

"Please don't tell anybody about us." Kurapika just said, giving up on explaining what really was between them, she'd brief Leorio on this teeny tiny bit of misunderstanding later. Right now, she had a web of lies to cast and hopefully it would be realistic. "Some people are looking for us."

"Forbidden love?" The old woman bobbed her head back and forth in a grievous manner, much like what her brother did a few weeks ago. "Those loves are the strongest yet definitely the hardest. Sometimes they end in pure misery... I wouldn't advise it to anybody but if you really love him so much..."

Kurapika took every ounce of self-control she got not to roll her eyes, she and Leorio? She shuddered at the thought. But let the woman think what wants as long as they can be kept safe and hidden until they are quite ready to handle any attack, then so be it. But just to be sure the woman would really keep her mouth shut, "I'm afraid they are out to kill us both."

"Ah..." The woman said knowingly, if she was afraid she had a great time hiding it, "I understand you folks. I'll tell the others not to entertain questions about you people. You're safe here with Granny Greta."

And surprisingly they were safe. The days passed by rather slowly but they turned to weeks and then to months. During the day Kurapika would do the chores the old woman tasked her, while at night when she knew everybody was sound asleep, she would practice her nen and formulate plans.

At their first week, Kurapika had a crash course on how to sew and mend clothes like any proper woman should know. Kurapika bit back her tongue before she could say some cutting words. Lady-work never appealed to her. While the Grandmother let Leorio do whatever he wanted around the house, Granny Greta would bring cups of tea and biscuit, Kurapika baked albeit grudgingly, every afternoon where her young gentleman guest would open up a thick book and read.

Grandmother Greta fawned over the two of them like they were some married couple and sometimes made it more embarrassing for the two of them. They slept in different rooms and she would 'innocently' question them why they had to do so. When Kurapika had the chance to brief her comrade what the old woman thought, the man had the actual gall to laugh and chortle. Leorio sported a bump in the head for a few days after that and now he always had second thoughts before taunting the irritable Kuruta.

They had shared a room before during the hunter exam and while on their travels. They know some of each other's sleeping trait. And it wouldn't be such a big deal to share another one but for propriety's sake they requested separate sleeping quarters. Leorio became much more finesse when handling Kurapika after he found out about her real persona, much to Kurapika's chagrin. Leorio refused to sleep in the same room as her. Kurapika took the other vacant room while Leorio made a make-shift bed in the kitchen. The poor man.

"But didn't you come here to elope?" Was the grandmother's favorite question. Kurapika was already tempted to tell the woman the truth. That a group of internationally Class A wanted criminals were out for their blood and they had to kill them first before they become the skewered ones. Leorio would always try to pacify the situation before the Kuruta could blow off their cover.

"Ne, Granny. We aren't married yet." Leorio pointed out, Kurapika knew it was the rare occasional taunt Leorio allowed himself to direct at her and it was not appreciated. He had fun saying those things while Kurapika was mortified. He would always earn a hard hand chop at the back of his neck when the grandmother was not looking.

"Oh... I remember my youth and I didn't care about proprieties... I was always with my Lubax." Lubax was the name of her lover that became deceased husband. The old woman was giddy as she related her midnight trysts with them, Kurapika would politely listen and ask a question or two if necessary while Leorio would only blush.

The three of them have formed a routine the past two months. Every Monday, Granny Greta would go out to visit her daughter living in another town, she would bring a tiny woven basket which Kurapika would fill with fruits and vegetables courtesy from Greta's small but lively garden. She would leave the two of them behind, and come back the afternoon the next day bringing with her some new clothes for Kurapika to try on much to the younger woman's dismay and the woman's delight. Those small reprieve when they were left alone to dwell on their thoughts were spent alone and rarely with each other, Leorio would take that time to sleep and act lazy the whole day while Kurapika would explore their surrounding areas camping at night, practicing nen and sometimes coming back the same time as Greta.

When Kurapika opened the door with a small bag on her back, Leorio no longer protested. They argued about it a lot during the first few weeks but Kurapika won in the end. No need for Leorio to worry, after all she would only be in the vicinity.

Kurapika trekked the familiar path slowly. She had started to get used to the small village and she was starting to get attached to the kind grandmother, eccentric she may be. The old woman told her how she lost her husband at a young age and had a daughter in that short but blessed union. That explained a lot why the woman was romantic at heart and kept on pushing for them to spend each second with each other. Greta was trying to relive their short love through them.

Kurapika stopped at the small lake she had discovered at the second week and carefully removed her shoes. They were the same ones she wore since the hunter exam and they were pretty worn out and battered. She owned other pairs of shoes but this were the most comfortable. It felt so nice soaking her feet in the cool water. She laid down the soft green grass and admired the fluffy white clouds above her head, they look a lot like the clouds she had always admired back when she was a kid. She stared at them for a long time, trying to figure out what each of them looked like. One looked like a fat chicken, another looked like a deformed cross and the last distinguishable cloud looked like a dog. Her lids started to feel heavy and after a while Kurapika gave in to the temptation. She closed her eyes and dreamed.

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"Ah, just down ahead. You can find a warm looking house that would be glad to take you in."

"Are you sure? We look a little worse for wear and that lady might get scared." The old man looked at the samurai who had a peculiar tree tied around his ponytail.

"I've sent a pair of siblings to my sister's months ago and they were more dirty looking than you lot." The old man related to the four grim looking group, who were looking for a place to stay the night. His sister warned him 'not to open his good for nothing mouth' and babble about the siblings to any outsiders.

The old man frowned a little but his spirits soared again when he looked at the group, they don't look like the type who would go make some trouble. Odd though, but they seemed friendly enough and they certainly were not looking for eloping lovers, only a place to stay the night in. The old man felt a little anxious mixed with a nervous feeling but it quickly evaporated.

"Siblings?" A young man echoed.

The man gave a toothy grin and related how much of a help those youngsters were to his sister ever since they came two months ago. He was thoroughly engrossed sharing his opinion about the siblings that he did not notice the shared glint in their eyes.

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_Kurapika! Kurapika!_The voice sounded so familiar in Kurapika's ears. She felt her eyebrows furrow together in concentration, trying to recall where she had heard it. She wanted to sleep more but the voice kept on calling her, she couldn't place it anywhere and it sounded so close. It pleaded for her to wake up and open her eyes. She ignored it ...but finally decided to open her eyes for the sake of shutting it up when it wouldn't stop. When she did open them, she saw a pair of familiar happy brown orbs staring back at her, familiar mischief in them.

"...Pairo?" The brown haired boy gave a boyish grin and pulled her up to sitting position, not minding that she was still semi asleep. Kurapika observed him with astonished eyes, he looked at her as though nothing have happened. He looked alive and healthy. His skin wasn't marred, even the dullness on his eyes were gone. They looked the same as before he had to rescue Kurapika from falling off a cliff and breaking her neck.

"Kurapika, you took so long to wake up." Pairo whined. Kurapika closed her eyes for a moment, rubbed the sleep off of her eyes and opened them. It must be a dream. She never dreamed about her clan like this, there was no blood or burning houses ...it felt peaceful. When she looked around it was empty, there were only the two of them in the pond. When she dreamed it usually had half of the clan in their bloody wake, screaming and asking for help. "Kurapika, is there something wrong?"

"...You're alive..." Kurapika softly whispered. She pulled Pairo in a tight embrace as tears started to sting her eyes. When was the last time she cried? Pairo gave a soft chuckle and let her hug him tight. The last time she saw Pairo, he was being used by the doll maker Omakage. This Pairo she was looking at is not a fake or another puppet, Kurapika was sure. "Is this...?"

Kurapika pulled back only to see her friend's smile. He loved to smile, even when in pain he did. Kurapika did not wait for him to answer. What was important was that they were together again, she had lots of stories to tell her irreplaceable best friend. She told him about her new friends. About an innocent Gon, a runaway child assassin called Killua and a pure hearted doctor-in-the-making named Leorio who looked old even though he was still in his teens, through all that Pairo gave a small sincere smile as if to say he knew but he wanted to hear it from Kurapika's mouth.

"Do you love your friends Kurapika?' The question was uncharacteristic of him and Kurapika immediately mustered a yes. She didn't need to think about it. The past years her friends had become her only family, they got each other's back and pulled each other out of any trouble. Pairo gave a huge smile when he heard it. "I'm glad. And you'll do anything for them, won't you?"

"Of course, I will. If I could have given my life for you back then.. Or even now, I would." Kurapika could never forget the promise she made with Pairo, how they would travel around the world. He saved her life at the cost of his feet and eyes. She wanted to find a cure for him so that they can travel and explore the world outside their clan. They planned to visit a country in the orient and climb the highest mountain, they planned a life outside their small but beautiful isolated village. They never did ...because of the spiders. Kurapika's eyes burned scarlet and Pairo frowned.

It didn't need a genius for somebody to know Kurapika thought of the massacre.

"Don't forget yourself in all this hate." Pairo looked longingly at her, he was there in the background watching his childhood bestfriend burn out in hate. He didn't want that to happen. Kurapika has too much life to waste away on hate, he wanted to tell Kurapika that but his time was running out, he was starting to dematerialize. He stood up but Kurapika held his hand and refused to let go. He gave Kurapika one last brotherly hug and softly whispered in his ear, "Don't lose yourself, Kurapika."

"But..." Kurapika wasn't able to finish because Pairo smiled goodbye and slowly vanished. She tried to hold the space he occupied but she only felt the cold air.

Kurapika woke up with a jolt, she was surprised to be greeted by twinkling stars. She stood up and felt her back ache, in fact she was really sore all over. She felt her wet cheeks and looked up at the sky to see if it rained. When everything around her was dry she figured it didn't. She touched her cheeks again then she knew she had been crying.

'Pairo?' She called out again. It was one of the most vivid dreams she had, it felt wonderful too. She looked around the area only to see the dark woods, looking at it from an outsider's point the scene would have been eerie. But those thoughts aside, Kurapika started to figure out the time. She slept the better half of the afternoon, perhaps six to seven hours.

Kurapika pulled her shoes from her side and wore them wearily. Her thoughts were still on her dream, it was the first dream she had of Pairo, of them just talking and it felt so real. Remembering all the other dreams she had, her latest had been the most pleasant.

She took the longer road back to Greta's humble home. The night air was cold and Kurapika had to pull at her clothes to preserve more heat. Her tribal clothes were safely hidden beneath a lose floorboard while the blue pants she bought have been turned into some rags. Greta took the liberty of doing it for her, old Greta loved playing dress ups and her life size doll had been unfortunately her. The dress Greta made Kurapika wear had been her daughter's before her daughter lost her figure to motherhood. It was thinner than what she was used to wearing and it ended a good inch above her knees, making her feel so exposed. It felt weird at first, wearing a skirt after so many years of confining herself to pants and shorts but Greta enforced it upon herself to make Kurapika embrace her feminine side. Greta sometimes curled Kurapika's hair into soft waves, like what she was used to doing to her own child before her daughter married and moved away. Kurapika felt ridiculous wearing her hair long, after two months of no haircut, her chin length hair now reached two inches past her shoulders, but with Greta's curling it stopped on her shoulder. With the old woman gone for the day, Kurapika's hair laid on her back untouched, just the way she liked.

The town they arrived in was very remote, the neighboring town, where Greta's daughter resided was some five miles away, that's why Greta took two days to visit. Kurapika did not mind the distance though, it made her feel some sort of security far from other towns and curios villagers. Kurapika stopped and smiled when she reached the small cottage. Leorio must have fallen asleep while reviewing his textbook.

The cottage was not lit but it still felt welcoming. Kurapika got hold of a key placed under a vase adorning the small podium and used it to turn the knob.

_Odd_, she thought, _Normally, he would have woken up._

Leorio should have been sleeping on the couch, making use of the opportunity to use it while nobody was around to sit on it. It felt much more comfortable compared to the hard board he used as a make-shift bed. He should be snoring right now or muttering 'money, money, money' while in deep sleep. She looked around the small room for any sign from her friend. What she saw next made her blood run cold.

"_You_." Kurapika spat the words like venom, in front of her sat Kuroro Lucifer. The same seat she would occupy during meal times. Her aquamarine eyes glowed its scarlet red and she whipped out her chain Jail. Kuroro's bandit book materialized on his right hand and was gone before her chains could reach him. Kuroro teleported himself in front of her, standing only a few feet away. A form of silent flaunt, proving his point that her judgment chain was indeed gone and exorcised. He got it across and perfectly because the Kuruta was fuming wildly. But Kurapika did not allow herself to be bested; she took the golden opportunity and whipped her chains again. It moved towards the Genei Ryodan leader but Kuroro did not move to dodge the material even as it wrapped around him. Kurapika's eyes narrowed. Kuroro was wrapped in her chains only because he allowed himself to, he didn't even put up any resistance. She was being insulted.

"It took some time to find you." Kuroro said so casually which infuriated Kurapika more. He was smiling widely at her and not at all struggling. Before Kurapika could summon her judgment chain again and curse him 'till he died, somebody spoke.

"I won't do any funny moves if I were you, fucking bastard." Nobunaga, the samurai spider held at sword's point a red battered mess. Kurapika had to squint her eyes for her to see what it was, in the midst of her anger she forgot that her friend came along with her, alone when the Genei Ryodan infiltrated their hideout. She berated herself on why she didn't let Leorio accompany her. He wouldn't have been subjected to that torture. Kurapika tightened her chains against Lucifer when she saw her friend's broken body.

"Release him now or I'll crush him to death." They heard rustles of clothes against steel but Kuroro did not even flinch when they heard his bones make cracking sounds. The sounds weren't enough to satisfy the bloodlust Kurapika was feeling. Leorio was never a fighter, though he improved his nen and can fight, his Hatsu still stood no chance against four of them.

"Kuruta, you are not in any position to order anybody around." The female member of the group said coldly. The pink haired ninja-like girl had her hands fixed onto a weird looking position. Using Gyo, Kurapika saw fine threads wrapped around Leorio's body much like the chains she had on their leader, "Release Danchou."

Kurapika looked at Leorio who had one of his eyes snapped shut. His face was swollen and he made gurgled sounds with his split lip. Her anger started to rise again. She tightened the chains around him even more until it produced more cracks.

"Nobunaga had a hard time controlling himself." The spider leader informed her, she gave them all a dirty look and calculated the situation on her mind. They were terribly outnumbered. The best that could happen would be for Leorio to get out and survive. She'd have to convince and make Leorio promise to leave without her. That would be her second priority, the first would be how to heal Leorio. Judging from the way he was curled up they had broken a lot of his bones and he started to hemorrhage.. If she would go down today, she's have to take Kuroro with her, but that would leave three more spiders that could openly hunt down Leorio. Kuroro snapped her out of her thoughts and mocked her. "Are we going to have an exchange, Kuruta?"

"Shut up." The moment the words left Kurapika's mouth, Nobunaga gave a hard kick at Leorio's side. He doubled over and coughed, by the way Leorio's shoulder shook she knew it hurt just to breath. They battered him almost to the point of insanity. Nobunaga raised his foot again to deliver another swift kick when Kurapika lost herself and whipped her chain jail at Nobunaga and tried to choke him to death. It was wrapped around his neck, he dropped his sword and tried to pry the chains of his neck with his gangly hands. They were no use, a big guy like Uvogin had not even come close to breaking it. How much more a stick like him?

Kurapika tugged Nobunaga closer to her and punched his face repeatedly, her enhanced strength had broken his nose but he didn't mind. She didn't mind as well that she was becoming petty, physically attacking so much a man in his zetsu state. When Nobunaga smirked at her she delivered one hard punch in his jaw, shutting him up.

She only remembered then that she had released Kuroro from her chain and had a different member wrapped around it when she was able to release a little of her anger. The other three spiders didn't even try to interfere. Lucifer looked amused, the only other girl looked so detached and disinterested while the last one that had a baby like face had a smile plastered all over his face. She was losing her cool and level-headedness, desperate to save a life not meant to be lost in such a brutal way. She spared a glance at her friend who looked at her as if to say it's not your fault.

"You're trapped Kuruta." Kuroro walked towards her and Kurapika took an involuntary step back. He took his time walking towards her eyeing her from head to foot, she then felt ridiculous for going back to being female. His eyes mocked her as he saw the skirt of her dress, they became even more amused to see the flower print on it. All the girly clothes did nothing, the spiders still caught them unprepared and now, they were on the verge of dying. Kurapika tried not to flinch when he touched her hair and laughed. "Back to playing a woman again?"

"That's none of your business." She slapped his hand away, she'd never let them find out about her real gender, she created Kurapika the boy for one reason alone and _that_ reason was in front of her. She pulled back her head and looked at him with disgust. Her eyes were still scarlet, she could still use her emperor time to escape. She could easily break free from them but the risk would play around Leorio not making it out alive, she was walking on very thin ice. She stared dead in the eye the killer of her clan. They were black and empty and it sucked the soul of all those who looked at it. She started to feel the helplessness of their situation.

_Then that's better than knowing your bestfriend died without you giving any help when you know you could have done something!_

If she leapt towards Leorio and head towards the exit, they might make it. Might. No, Leorio deserved to live and become a doctor. He deserved a hundred and ten percent chance of survival. Kurapika closed her eyes and composed herself, she inhaled and exhaled until her anger subsided. Above all, she needed a clear mind, there were no Senritsu's around to help her calm down. Think, think, think

"I'll surrender to you," Kurapika solemnly said. Nobunaga snorted loudly but she ignored him, it would be no use to pick any arguments with him. "In exchange, you let me heal him and he walks away from all of this _alive_."

"You killed two of my people." Kuroro rubbed his chin, "what makes you think one of you even deserves to live?"

"You killed _all_ my people." Kurapika hissed at him remembering her wiped out clan. The root of it all was for the purpose of owning a multiple zero bank account. The greedy pigs. She took a steady breath before continuing. "But I'm the one you want. Let him go."

"Danchou, either way both of them will die tonight." Nobunaga was getting impatient, he had planned his torture ever since Uvogin's death. The bastard even had the nerve to ask for his friend's pathetic life, it wasn't even worth breaking his bones, they all snapped like toothpicks under his thumb. But Nobunaga had to give it to the kid, he never screamed or cried. "That bastard is in no place to call any shots."

Kuroro did not listen to him, he was looking intently at the sole survivor of the massacre. As he said, the Kuruta killed two of his people, it would be a waste to have that power disappear, he even managed an impressive feat of kidnapping him right under the spider's noses, meaning he was smart beyond the average man perhaps even rivaling him. The Kuruta's scarlet eyes that were intently glaring at him with deep hate were the most fascinating pair he'd ever seen, not to mention the last one. And those nen-chains were one of the strongest he had ever encountered.

"By our law, killing a spider gives you a chance at getting their number." Nobunaga looked at his Danchou with shock that quickly turned to rage. Was their Danchou taking for granted Uvogin's death?! Nobunaga eyed in outrage as Shalnark whipped out his phone and told Phinks to transfer twenty million jennies in his account for winning the bet. Nobunaga started hurling abuses but he stopped when Kuroro looked at him. Kurapika did not pay any attention to them, she looked beyond murderous.

"Join the Genei Ryodan?!" Kurapika seethed with uncontrolled anger. She landed a punch at Lucifer's jaw. The older man didn't seem to mind it, in fact he looked amused. He didn't even look hurt. "I'd rather die!"

"Machi." Kuroro looked at the woman and cocked his head towards Leorio's body. Machi picked up Nobunaga's fallen sword. Nobunaga smirked, although he won't be the one to deliver the blow, at least he could take out his anger and relish the Kuruta's rage when she sees her friend's severed head. He'd pray for Machi to make it a jagged cut, painful for that bastard's friend. Kurapika's eyes widened when she saw the sword about to decapitate her friend's head. Her life wasn't the only one on the line.

_And you'll do anything for them, won't you?_

"Wait!" Machi stopped midway. Nobunaga spat at the floor in front of her foot, it had a tinge of blood mixed with it thanks to the punches she delivered. Kurapika looked at Kuroro and had a hard time chocking out the words from her mouth ."If... If... I... Will he live?"

"That all depends on you." Kuroro flatly said. Kurapika looked at Leorio. He's not going to make it if she doesn't decide soon. His shoulder was shaking violently, the cuts on his arms and legs looked raw and dirty, if by some miracle he survives the infection he'd die because of blood loss "It's all in your hands."

"No..." Leorio's voice was weak and he coughed. It sounded hoarse and painful. "...No, Kurapika..."

_I'll still study to become a world famous doctor, you'll see. But right now my bestfriend needs my help, and I'm giving it. Wanted or not._

"You let me heal him. That's part of the deal." Kurapika dematerialized her chain jail and crouched towards Leorio. Nobunaga gave her a dirty glare when Machi pulled back his sword and threw it down the ground. She ignored everything else and summoned her Holy chain.

"Kura..pika.. Why?" Leorio's opened eye looked at her, it started to form tears, from the depths of them she could see all the emotions Leorio felt.

"So that you'll live, baka." Kurapika grinned at him. She finished healing the most critical of his wounds and moved on to a broken leg bone. She couldn't heal everything fully without over exhausting herself, she healed him just enough to lessen the pain and to make sure a week's rest would cure it.

"But.." Leorio coughed, "you ..hate them. ...What about ...your clan?"

"I'll still going to avenge my clan, you'll see." She echoed the words he said more than two months ago as her chain dropped on Leorio's face, it was cool to the burning skin and very soothing."But right now my bestfriend needs my help, and I'm giving it. Wanted or not."

"Baka." This time it was Leorio who whispered. At first when the Genei Ryodan arrived, they immediately recognized him, he started to lie and babble on about how they must have gotten the wrong person. His face was handsome but very generic, he said. And he was with his sibling, a little girl out about wondering in the woods. He prayed that Kurapika not to return soon. When they didn't buy his story, the samurai man started to attack him, he tried to put up the best fight he can, but he was still so overwhelmed. When Kurapika was done healing him, he only sported a half-healed broken lip and some dark bruises. Before Leorio could get up, Machi's strings restricted him again, the spiders were still wary about any unwanted moves.

"Let him leave first." Kurapika snapped. She made sure to heal Leorio's lower body almost to one hundred percent so that he won't have a hard time walking or running for escape. She had a staring contest with the Genei Ryodan leader and none of them wanted to back down. Swallowing a lump of her pride, she added. "I want a guarantee he won't be killed."

"He won't be." Kuroro promised her, but she knew better than to trust a bandit's word. "As long as _both_ of you comply to my terms."

He said it pleasantly that Kurapika started to dread what that 'term' meant.

"Give me your chain jail and judgment chain." Leorio started to protest but Machi clasped threads around his mouth, silencing him. Kurapika narrowed her scarlet eyes. They were the most ruthless people she had ever met, and someday she'd find away to kill them all and make them suffer for everything. Kuroro smiled when she didn't have any violent reactions, "That's the price for his life."

"I'll get it back and I'll kill you." Kurapika promised him. Kuroro gave her a charming smile, not at all believing her. It was virtually impossible trying to get back a stolen ability from his bandit's book. But it will amuse him to no end to watch her try.

"Pierce him with your judgment chain," Kuroro cocked his head towards Leorio. Kurapika gave him an incredulous look. As if reading her mind, he said, "I won't make you kill him. Just do it"

As if Kurapika would do any harm to her friend, she rolled her eyes. Kurapika aimed her chain at Leorio. His shoulders slumped a bit and his body was tensed, she never thought her judgment chain would be used on her own friends because of the spiders and not the other way around.

"Make this the conditions: He won't be a bother to the spider anymore and if ever the spider needs help he will give it." Kurapika repeated the words Kuroro asked her and immediately her chain snapped back to her, she faced Kuroro with a glare. Kuroro gave a very simple curse, he knew the man would gladly throw away his life for the sake of his friends. Making an elaborate: Don't ever follow us or don't try to rescue your friend would have fallen to deaf ears. Also he was feeling rather gracious today as well.

"What is the judgment chain and chain jail all about?" Kuroro asked her, it was a pretty obvious answer. Kurapika answered grudgingly while using a colorful streak of language, any other man would have felt less after hearing Kurapika's description of them. "And now place your palm on top of my book."

Kurapika stepped forward towards him and looked at the red leather book with a palm print on top. She looked at it and at her friend, Leorio gave her a pleading look not to do it. She gave a long suffering sigh before closing her eyes and touching the book swiftly. Her knees started to buckle and feel wobbly. All her chains materialized for a moment, glinting back at her one last time. The chains on her ring finger and little finger vanished slowly and it took all her strength not to attack the man who finally had her chains on his own fingers, flexing them and trying out them out. She felt robbed.

"A deal is a deal." Kuroro smiled at her. Machi released Leorio from her nen strings. "And lastly,"

Kurapika felt her heart get pierced again, this time the chains came from the hands of her enemy. She felt lost, angry and murderous. Her own abilities were used against her, "You will aid us in our goals. You won't try to escape ever."

"I will." Kurapika hissed the words, her chains dematerialized as she felt another judgment chain on her heart. She wasn't aware with what was happening in her surroundings, she felt like she was in the state of limbo. She flexed her hand and felt incredibly naked with her two fingers missing their chains. Kuroro gave her a big triumphant smirk.

"Get him out of here." Kuroro jerked his chin towards a protesting Leorio. Leorio started kicking and shouting reaching out to his friend and begging but Machi kept him at bay. Kuroro Lucifer ignored them as he faced a seething Kuruta, admiring the last living scarlet who burned with so much anger, hate and loathing, "Welcome to Genei Ryodan, Kuruta."

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When she returned to her house, she had another set of lovely clothes for Pika-chan to try on. Greta knew the blonde disliked wearing such feminine attires but she looked so pretty in them, Greta could not help herself. Once or twice a day, she would look longingly at the axe placed outside as if she wanted to chop some firewood instead of doing her designated chores. Greta chuckled to herself, the young blonde was so unique and special, it wasn't a puzzle why Leo-kun was so smitten with her. They make such a lovely couple, Greta thought to herself.

When she arrived home and found the cottage empty, she worried. _Did they find them? Poor Pika-chan and Leo-kun..._

She walked towards her small living room and saw a white paper signed with Pika's neat handwriting. Some bills fell out off the letter, she picked them up and placed them on the table. _How thoughtful of them. _Greta picked up once again the letter as she excitedly opened it. She widely smiled as she read out loud,

_Grandmother, please don't worry about us. We are in good hands and alive. Something important came up but we'll visit soon. Arigatou for everything! We'll never forget you! :)_

_Thank you always,_

_Pika and Leo_

**P.S: we've made extra firewood for you to last a month. :)~Leo**

Greta wiped a few stray tears with her finger, it wasn't a sad note yet tears started flowing out of her old eyes. Was it nerves? Maybe. She'll miss her young mysterious companions, their youth, their friendship, their help even the constant bickering when they thought she wasn't looking. All in all Greta felt happy after reading the note, though what puzzled her was the small black spider drawing at the lower left of the paper. She crunched her forehead and asked herself, _Did Pika like spiders?_

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A/n: Thank you so much for reading! But I would like to give my thanks to the following who gave such heartwarming lovely reviews. Reading them made me smile, Thank you to: I'oOoMoOoo (I think it's based on the 1999 physically like their eye color and others but it's also based on the 2011 C:), (Thank you so much for the review! :D I'm very happy you liked it :) I'll try my super best to keep them all IC :D Thank you again!), Astrala (Thanks! :D), the reviewer123 (Thank you! ), Lord of the West (Thank you! C:), Guest (Terima Kasih! :D).

Please Review, I hope you liked it :D


	3. Chapter 3

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Twisted

What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted.

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Chapter Three

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They were walking for about two days with little to no rest. The last stop they had, had been near a river late last night. The three of them traveled to the east to 'Tamanggalam' while Machi and Nobunaga were tasked to bring a disoriented Leorio back to Yorkshin City and were asked to catch up.

The idea was unsettling to Kurapika. Nobunaga had no qualms with killing people much less a close friend of the chain assassin, she hissed at them. Kuroro had assured her though that in no way was Leorio to be harmed. Kurapika did not believe him and rattled on about criminals like them were in no way to be trusted. Kuroro rolled his eyes, he only saw one way to persuade and gain neutral ground with the Kuruta. He placed a judgment chain on Nobunaga preventing him from laying any harm on Leorio. He didn't bother with Machi, because Kuroro knew the girl had self-control and followed orders perfectly.

Nobunaga yelped when the chain pierced his heart. Disbelief colored his face and looked accusingly at his Danchou. Kuroro did not explain himself until Nobunaga got it. He was a real hot-head sometimes and the possibility of killing that chain-bastard's friend was high. Nobunaga's cheeks colored lightly. They parted ways after that, not giving Kurapika and Leorio time to say their goodbyes.

Nobody talked. The boy called Shalnark who looked around her age was playing with his phone. The sound effects were annoying and Kurapika bit her tongue from saying anything. From the corner of her eye she saw Kuroro perfectly at ease with the noise. He did not mind the constant booms and whistles and the occasional screaming sounds_. Probably because they play that better in real life,_ images of the Yorkshin auction flooded her mind. The faces of her fallen comrades and even the deceased she was not acquainted. Kurapika bit the insides of her mouth to prevent her from blurting out what she thought.

She had changed into her most comfortable pair of pants, the one she bought with Leorio. Her hair was getting longer and a little out of hand, Kurapika briefly wondered when she would have leisure of cutting it back to its short length. She also missed her usual clothing but her tribal attire had been left in the cottage, she thought it safer there compared to the traveling environment to God knows where.

In all the days they have traveled, she only opened her mouth to contradict Kuroro or voice out what she thought about them. Shalnark winced a little every time Kurapika tongue-lashed their group. It would be a miracle if the Kuruta ever becomes chummy with them… much less share the thick familial bond the Genei Ryodan have, Shalnark thought. He sighed, how he wanted to have all the spiders at at least neutral grounds.

"Would you like to play, Kuruta-san?" Shalnark offered his pink colored phone trying to lessen the hostility. He had tried so many times befriending Kurapika. He was either met with a string of curses or an extremely murderous glare. Shalnark was getting used to it, but they still had the desired effect. ".. Oh, okay..."

Shalnark withered away but continued playing on as if nothing happened.

"And why don't we just teleport anyway?" Kurapika was in one of her moments where she was deliberately becoming difficult again, Kuroro knew that much so his face remained impassive. "Didn't you _steal_ that one ability that lets you teleport from one place to another? Why don't you use that now?"

Kuroro gave the chain-user a very thin smile, his patience was being tested but he wouldn't rise up to the bait. But that didn't mean he wouldn't taunt the little bastard, "That ability was long gone, the previous owner probably died out of the beatings Feitan gave him."

Kuroro smiled when the Kuruta sneered at him. Just like Kuroro thought, the boy shut his mouth and limited himself again to answering only when extremely necessary. But his glare remained, Kuroro was a little disappointed to see the boy's eyes remain its aquamarine color, he had hoped to see them burning scarlets again.

When they had harvested the eyes, he had admired them only a few short days before parting with them. He found those bottled eyes a little dull after the novelty wore off. Now he knew his mistake, the eyes were much lovelier alive than dead. The Kuruta they were traveling with now had a certain glow to his eyes compared to the bottled ones. The difference was small yet it made a big difference. Kuroro wanted to see them again. But he was careful not to let the boy know how he liked looking at the scarlet eyes, because the he also knew that boy would have no qualms blinding himself just to spite him. He frowned at the thought of such waste.

"Danchou, Kortopi has been in Ryuuseigei." Shalnark broke through his reverie; their smallest member had been fond of Ryuuseigei and often visited the area whenever possible. "There were some ..complications."

Kuroro raised a delicate brow, "Really?"

Ryuuseigei was a complication in itself, but the word coming from somebody like Kortopi meant something was really amiss. Kuroro thought when he could check out the 'complication'. They had a big job at Tamanggalam but with all the Genei Ryodan present and at full force they could take care of it in less than a week, considering that this was their big comeback to the mafia world. His spiders were eager and itching for a big scale project like this.

After the said fiasco that would reward them all thicker bank accounts, Kuroro would come and investigate what that 'complication' meant. The elders have not yet contacted him about it, but it would be better for him to try to fix the problem before it became worse.

They had forgotten about Kurapika, much to her delight. She walked slower than the two of them and had actually tried to enjoy the little view she had without dropping down her guard. The jungle had been dull and lifeless compared to the NGL's border she grew accustomed to. She suddenly missed looking at the wildflowers that grew on the path walk and she wondered greatly how Granny Greta was faring, she hoped she was alright and her rheumatism would go away, especially with the cold season coming soon.

Kurapika spent her time thinking about ways around the oath but currently found none. She would obviously need to have it exorcised but she doubt Kuroro would ever give her any allowance to do just that. And there was that matter about her gender. Small problem, really. She scoffed to herself. She would continue to be a boy and none of them would ever suspect. And the problem about where she would go after 'their' current mission bugged the hell out of Kurapika. Kurapika thought this time to visit her friends or look for an exorcist. But it would never be as simple as that. She knew she'd have to stick with a spider like a dog on a leash.

"After this thievery, where am I going?" Kurapika asked out loud.

"You're coming with me." Kuroro gave her an irritating smile, seeing through her plan. Kuroro knew she'd want to find an exorcist just like he did. Kurapika twisted her face in anger. Of all the other members of his troupe she'd have to tag along with him. She voiced that out and in return she only received a light shrug as a dismissal and was ignored again. The two spiders talked rather seriously.

"During that time, will I ever be allowed to visit my friends?" Kurapika greeted out the words like poison. Kuroro remained cool headed as he answered. He was allowed to go on one condition, only after he had proven his loyalty to Genei Ryodan.

_'Which is practically never'_, Kurapika added.

Kuroro's mind still lingered on the Kuruta. Without the chain jail and judgment chain, he was practically harmless to the spiders. But being the seasoned fighter and strategist that he was, he would never underestimate an opponent. Aside from that, he knew the intellect that resided on the young boy's mind and its growing potential. Kuroro was sure the boy would find a way around the oath and around them and get the chain exorcised.

They stopped at a crowded inn and unluckily for them only one room was available. Shalnark joked about having two guests killed to make room the three of them. He sported a black eye after the words left his mouth. Kurapika did not share the same humor as their troupe, Shalnark learned of it belatedly. Lucky for them though, the remaining room had two decent sized beds with a comfy looking couch, Kuroro would have asked for another bed but Shalnark volunteered himself to sleep on the couch, the incentive was a television set which he started to tear apart and reconstruct to accommodate one of his games. The thought of Gon and Killua enjoying whatever Shalnark was playing entered Kurapika's mind, but she dismissed it just as fast. A spider is a spider, no matter how harmless they may look, they were selfish cold blooded killers, Kurapika thought in distaste.

Kurapika wordlessly took the bed near the window and started to unpack her small belongings. She checked her supplies and found out she had exhausted almost all of it. She'd have to buy some new ones and replenish her stocks before they depart again, who knows when they'll be able to pass by another town with fresh supplies.

"I'm heading out." Kurapika said to no one in particular, she placed her small coin purse in her pocket and started buttoning her coat. She could use her hunter card again but decided against it.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're NOT." Kurapika bit out. She gave the dirtiest glare she could muster before walking out. Kuroro was already beside her before she could step out of the room. Kurapika eyed him from head to foot with her eyes screaming _extreme-distaste. _He wore cleaner clothes than before with a bandaged wrapped around his forehead to conceal his cross mark, Kurapika observed.

"On the contrary, I insist." Kuroro replied pleasantly. He ignored the dirty look the young Kuruta gave him and instead waited outside the door for the boy to follow through. Kurapika refused to do so and had a mini staring contest with each other. Kuroro deciding to end the childishness of the situation said, "Kuruta, either _we_ go now or wait until we reach our destination. A week and a half from now to buy whatever you need. Either way, you are not going alone."

Shalnark would have been the one to accompany her, but Kuroro saw how Shal had been intimated and scared by their new addition, his pointless attempts at making friends had been rebuffed too many times to count and he had decided to give Shalnark a well-deserved break.

"I thought you made sure I won't ever escape?!" Kurapika lost her temper, she was a person who valued the weight of words, even without the judgment chain, she would have never tried to escape. She gave her word not to do therefore she would not. And here they were, doubting her and treating her like a prisoner. Although she knew it, it still left a bitter after taste on her mouth after hearing somebody imply that she would try to break her word and run.

"Escape, yes. Try to find an exorcist along the way, no." Kuroro pleasantly told her. He closed the door to their rented room and walked. Kurapika bared her teeth before finally relenting to go out with him. They made their way out of the crowded inn while Kurapika maintained a tolerable distance between them.

It was a good thirty minute walk away from the village to where they would buy their supplies. They made no small talk along the way and neither of them had any desire to clear the hostile air. Both of them minded their own business. When they reached the town proper and almost everything they needed was in the first shop they passed by, they entered it and went to different sections of the shop wordlessly.

Kuroro walked over to the book sections while Kurapika went to the clothing aisle. Kurapika chanced a glance at herself in a small vanity mirror and frowned, her hair had gotten longer than the last she saw it. The last time she remembered her hair this long was a few summers back before the massacre. She tucked a stray lock behind her ear and continued to browse towards the available male clothing.

"Can I help you, Miss?" A salesgirl asked. She smiled shyly at the beautiful lady who was rummaging through the shirts, "for a friend?"

Kurapika paused for a while before understanding what the smiling lady was talking about. "For me."

"But Miss these are boys clothing." The saleslady painfully pointed out. She gracefully pointed towards the other side of the store where some flushed mannequins sporting some summer dresses stood. "While those are for the female."

"I know but I don't need those." Kurapika snapped.

"Oh?" The salesgirl was obviously taken aback. She looked more closely at the 'sir', finding nothing masculine about _his_ face. "But…you're too pretty."

Kurapika gave her one of the glares she would normally give the spiders she encountered. Then the saleslady remembered what her friend told her about some men being waaaay prettier than half the female population.

"..." Not wanting to talk to the saleslady anymore, Kurapika grabbed random shirts, jackets and spares before going over the counter to pay. She thanked the saleslady even though she hardly needed any assistance. Before looking for her unwanted companion she made a few stops to the toiletries as well as the medicine aisle. She looked around the other sections of the shop when she noticed herself in the books section. She was surprised to find it big and almost full from top to bottom filled with different titles. She decided to let her eyes roam a little. Her eyes subconsciously scanned the bookshelves looking for anything that warranted her attention. But no title seemed interesting enough. They were about hapless romance or a kid's picture book full of rainbows and colors. The types of books she read were not available then she gave a long sigh. She needed a good book to read to help her keep her sanity in check. Her eyes started to look bored until she saw a thick brown leather book with an interesting title, her eyes lit up with excitement. The same time she reached for it, somebody's hand touched the book's spine making their fingers brushing a little. Kurapika eyed the hand to the arm until her eyes looked at the owner's face.

"You can have it." Kurapika immediately said, she took back her fingers and subconsciously wiped them to her jeans. The words were not meant to be hostile but they came out as such, and words can't be taken back, Kurapika could care less though. Kuroro did not seem bothered by it as well, seeming that he was already used to it after weeks of traveling together. Kuroro held the book's spine and handed it over to the gaping Kuruta who never expected him to give it to her.

"I read that some time ago. You can have it." Kuroro offered the book but Kurapika looked at it warily before looking up at his eyes.

"You're just saying that. And its fine, you saw it first. I'll wait for you outside." Kurapika left him standing and went out with her small bundle of her purchases. It was no longer raining and the air had a certain smell to it. Kuroro eyed the retreating back and his eyes fell to the book in his hands.

He smiled hallowedly at it. Today was the first time somebody actually had the gall to act like he was a disease to mankind. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't. Kuroro paused deep in his thought and contemplated. He looked at his hand and saw them as white and pale as their usual self, unlike some of his spiders his hands were never blemished or scared... yet he took hundreds of lives with them. They were indeed 'dirty', if you put it in a goody-goody person's perspective like Kurapika. Kuroro clenched his fists, people can repulse him all they want, but he still won't give a damn. He returned the book to the bookshelf and walked away.

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After ten pure agonizing torturous days under the heat of the sun, they finally reached their destination in Tamanggalam. They were two days earlier than their estimate date of arrival. They were situated at an abandoned warehouse, with only a candle for light. Kurapika stiffened when they arrived to see a few of the spiders already loitering inside. When they walked in, they didn't notice her at first. They gave their respects to 'Danchou' and mingled with Shalnark. Only after a few minutes did they notice her. Though it was dark, Kurapika clearly saw the contempt and bloodlust on their faces. When they became aware of her, their hatsu ran wildly, in a way, trying to intimidate her with it.

"Behave." Kuroro ordered all of them, he sensed the Kuruta's hostility rise up as well as his spiders, but he didn't want any bloodshed on his troupe, especially a member who took so hard to bind. Phinks and Franklin looked at each other while Feitan continued to look haze with bloodlust.

"Still alive, eh?" Feitan was so sure Nobunaga would have finished him off. But, oh well. Nobunaga's loss, he'll have the pleasure of doing so.

Kurapika saw that unmistakable gleam in his eyes and she readied her chain. Even without the chain jail, she could still try to dismember one of them, with her emperor time she could enhance her strength to pop out his head. She'd relish that moment.

She felt somebody touch her shoulder and glared at the boy, who looked a little scared at touching her shoulder, "What?!"

"Both of you _enough_... This isn't allowed." Shalnark said in place of their Danchou. His voice was rather scared and a little intimidated. Their Danchou sat on the highest stair next to the candle and started to read. As his right-hand man, it became his job to stop fights. "_We_ shouldn't be fighting with each other."

Kurapika said nothing while the other spiders glared and muttered profanities. Some of them knew about the new membership, they found out when Shalnark phoned them asking for the betting money he won. Kurapika continued to glare at the shorter man whose eyes were the only feature to be seen.

"I don't accept you." Feitan hissed. "And I look forward to the day you scream in pain."

"And I give a damn with what you think." Kurapika said sarcastically. Her eyes were burning scarlet and her hatsu doubled up. She wouldn't let herself get beaten by the likes of him.

"What he means to say, you shouldn't do anything that would jeopardize the spider," it was the biggest guy who spoke, with Uvogin dead, Franklin towered everybody in height and muscles, "...or to our Danchou… or else..."

Kurapika did not grace them with anymore words and opted for the cold shoulder and shot them all murderous glares. She promised herself over and over again that when all this was over and she finally had her chains back she'd kill them all one by one finally avenging her clan.

Kurapika raised her head and looked around her even though her temper. Her eyes glowed brightly from her dark corner, making her look like an eerie demonic being. She could see the spiders lounging around the spacious warehouse, not minding at all how poorly lit the room was.

From the other corner sat a tattooed man whom she haven't seen before, Kurapika's eyes narrowed as she observed him. He noticed her looking at him and he gave a little glare, but not as hostile as the other spiders gave her. They had a little staring contest before the man broke away from their eye contact and focused more on the floor.

He must be new. Probably one of the replacements of the spiders she killed or that Hisoka. Kurapika once again laid her head on her arms. Her eyes were still burning scarlet. They didn't hurt or felt uncomfortable, but she felt the need to turn them back to their normal hue. She closed her eyes and thought of normal things, like politics and job opportunities.

Kurapika leaned on the dirty column far from the warehouse's exit and far away from them all. She sat on the floor with her arms hugging her knees. She buried her face on her arms and willed her anger to subside. Her eyes had turned scarlet from the moment she saw all the Genei Ryodan in one place; they were triggered more when she had that spat with that creep.

Kurapika heard the distant sound of a door suddenly opening, she stirred her head to take a peek at the newcomers. They were none other than the spiders who escorted her friend Leorio. Nobunaga and Machi sauntered towards the center of the warehouse. They were followed by Killua's youngest brother, Kalluto and the mop-looking spider called Kortopi. Was this a grand meeting?, she asked herself. There were too many spiders lurking about. She remained to where she was and counted the spiders with their names. She had memorized them thanks to that clown Hisoka.

Phinks, Machi. _Two_

Nobunaga, Kalluto. _Four._

Kortopi, Shizuku, Feitan, Shalnark, Franklin. _Eight._

That guy, Kalluto, Bonolenov. _Eleven_.

Kuroro Lucifer. _Twelve._

Kurapika looked around. Dreading what she was realizing. Her eyes darted from every one of the spiders, recounting. She was not mistaken. She was the thirteenth spider, the two she had killed had been replenished by none other than her.

Kuroro looked at the Kuruta and tried very hard to decipher what was going on on that Kuruta mind. The boy had been relatively quiet and docile, sulking around. He refrained from talking to anybody after the little show with Feitan and contented himself on that dark corner. On the few glances he gave the boy, he couldn't help but appreciate the glowing eyes enhanced by the darkness that surrounded him. They were truly remarkable. A few hours after the Kuruta laid his head on his hands, the red glow of his eyes started to fade. The boy's composure faltered when the last batch of his spiders arrived. Kuroro saw from the corner of his eye, the fading scarlets glow again as they darted around the room. He presumed the Kuruta was counting how many they were. Kuroro gave a cold smile. They were thirteen once more, thanks to their newest addition. The candle beside him died down and he stood up, immediately his spiders went towards him. Except for one who stayed alone bathing in the desolate moonlight, no surprises there.

"We have a new member tonight. At last we are complete." He started; his spiders looked warily at one another. Some, he knew, doubted his sanity. But others like Machi who thought with their brains rather than their emotions understood how much more they could get with having the last Kuruta on their side rather than killing him once and for all. "…Kuruta."

The boy glared at the space in front of him and pretended not to hear them talking. The boy hugged his knees tighter but kept his stubborn chin away from them. He did not call again, he knew a stubborn bull when he saw one. Well, then, the Kuruta could not blame him when his spiders finally have their rough way with him.

"Tonight before anything else, we start the _initiation_." At the word, the Kuruta's body tensed and became stiff. He wordlessly ordered two of his men, Phinks and Nobunaga, to bring the Kuruta forward. He sighed inwardly, no doubt the boy would yell profanities at them. He was getting rather tired of it all. They heard rustles of clothes and muffled yells. When Phinks and Nobunaga emerged from the dark, Phinks held the boy by his right hand behind his back in a tight lock that looked painful. While Nobunaga held the boy in his left side but much tighter that Phinks. Nobunaga also held the boy by his hair. Kuroro knew Nobunaga was pushing the boy towards his limit. They also gagged the boy to prevent him from yelling anymore.

Kuroro stepped down from the steps while Phinks and Nobunaga dragged a protesting Kuruta towards him. His eyes finally looked directly at the last living scarlet eyes. With the short locks out of the way, he enjoyed the view tremendously. He touched the boy's chin lightly and lifted it up to better appreciate them. The eyes told him what their owner felt. Contempt. Hate. Loath. Revenge. Everything negative.

Kuroro pulled back his hand and stepped back. "For killing Number Eleven" Nobunaga 'subtly' tightened his hold that produced a cracking sound that made the boy's eyes crystallize for a moment before turning to dangerous slits. Kurapika held his chin high. "And killing Number Nine this is our gift to you."

Kurapika's eyes widened when she saw what Kuroro held in his right hand. It was their twelve-legged spider emblem. She started to protest and struggle more even though it hurt a lot. Her left arm had been badly dislocated and has threatened to break at any rash movement but she continued to struggle. She knew what that emblem meant. She refused to get tattooed. Both her arms have been locked more securely to the point where they hurt too much to bear and became more dislocated and bruised.

She gave a venomous glare at the man stepping towards her. Would it be her face? Her hand? Or probably her forehead? Her hair had been roughly pulled back by the samurai, and she somehow felt she would be tattooed on her that spot. The hand rested on her head for a moment as she squeezed her eyes tight, willing not to let the tears fall. When the material did not touch her face she opened her eyes to see in shock the Genei Ryodan leader tearing the front of her shirt with a knife. She tried to yell but the gag muffled everything that she only made a soft hum.

When Kuroro was half-way he stopped but the shirt was beyond fixing. So his first impression about the chain-assassin had been spot on. The chain user was a girl right from the start. The girl looked mortified but somehow kept her dignity intact and glared a million daggers at him with her eyes. Phinks had started to look the ceiling with a little red tint on his cheeks while Nobunaga still looked murderous.

Before the Kuruta could free herself from the bind, Kuroro stamped the emblem on her left chest, right on top of her heart. His obsidian eyes locked with hers.

The gift of the spiders to her, a spider tattoo with the number eleven right at the top of her heart. He gave her a cold, empty smile. She was officially part of Genei Ryodan, a limb of the spider she loathed.

The moment the emblem contacted her skin, it felt warm until it burned. Tears prickled her eyes but she willed them not to fall down. She wasn't crying from the pain, but from anger at the indignation she was forced to. She thought her skin was going to be deformed from the burn. She only felt the burn but did not smell any burning flesh. Kuroro pulled back the emblem from her and she arms laid limp on her sides, the other spiders had let them go. Her shirt was beyond ruined and her secret was out to the world. There was nothing else to do but glare at the older man.

Her arms still hurt from getting dislocated. But she managed to slant her eyes to dangerous slits when Kuroro offered his trench coat. Never in a million years would she wear any clothing of his or accept any kindness or variations of it.

"Don't. Even. Bother." She hissed the words, she didn't wait for him to actually give the clothing to her when stomped back to her corner. She touched the new spider tattoo and tried her best to rub it off. It was still warm and she regarded it with wild eyes. Her shoulder's throbbed while she thought about using her holy chain. But then again, a thought crossed her mind. Kuroro Lucifer might steal it from her again and she had to preserve what chains she had left. The cool wind assaulted her front and Kurapika inspected the damage to her clothing. Her shirt now sported a low V, ending just above her navel and the torn cloth flapped with the wind. It disgusted her. Kurapika removed the shirt, careful not to add more pressure to her shoulders as she had yet healed them. She was in the darkest corner were nobody could see her. It was quite the chore. She reached towards her bag and got a button up shirt. It was Leorio's, she must have gotten it by mistake. Thinking back, she had no other clothes with buttons and that would be easy to wear. She sighed in defeat and started the challenge of putting the shirt on.

His spiders were at loss for words. For a second he was too, but he had regained his composure. He had given the girl sometime for respite. When he tore her shirt, saw her brassier and saw the defiant glint in her eye; he should have known better than anybody else that she would not accept anything from him. His trench coat lied on his side, forgotten for a moment. When the Kuruta finally settled down, he did not force her to come any more closer. He knew the girl was pushed beyond her limit and would no longer hold back her tongue. And as much as possible he valued silence. He nodded his head towards Shalnark who was waiting for his cue.

"Seven influential heads of the mafia are meeting here tomorrow at Ohms Manor." Shalnark started off, he had done the necessary research and the background study of the place. "They are planning to crush the Genei Ryodan, once and for all. They don't know Danchou is alive and that we are at full power."

Most of the Genei Ryodan snickered and took it as a light joke. Phinks cracked his knuckles. "Alright. I've needed a good exercise lately." Phinks added. Shalnark gave them all a wide boyish grin. Eliminating those Mafia's would be like a stroll in the park.

"Aside from that, we need to rescue a few citizens of Ryuuseigei." Kuroro continued. All his spiders looked at him. One of his informants in Ryuuseigei had told him about the new dilemma. "They have kidnapped a group of kids some months ago. It was only reported to me recently."

He shared the same thoughts with his troupe, some of the elders dubbed as the administrators of Ryuuseigei Heads were conniving, corrupt bastards. They had allowed those kids to be 'kidnapped' most probably because of personal interests. And there had been a rumor lately that the elders have started to reconnect with the Mafia and have planned to crush the Genei Ryodan to bring back the system from more than ten years ago. He smiled. Some people are just too full of themselves.

"Nobunaga, Kortopi, Abenaga take the front." This would be Abenaga's first real mission with the spiders, and he was beyond excited. "Terrorize the facade, crumble the buildings and go on a rampage."

"Shalnark, Machi, Bonolenov, Shizuku take the east." Kuroro faced Shalnark and gave him an specific instruction. "Gather all the information you can get. I want all the names part of their little game."

"Danchou!" Shalnark gave a small determined salute.

"Feitan, Kalluto, Phinks. Take the west side of the mansion." Two of the mentioned names reeked of bloodlust while the little boy who tried to look a little more impassive but couldn't restrain his excitement. "There would be a party on that side of the mansion. Family, friends and the members of the Mafia themselves. They would be a warning to all the other Mafia groups who plan on kidnapping and torturing citizens of Ryuuseigei. Let this be their lesson."

"Kuruta, Franklin and I will take the south. The leaders are going to hold their meeting there. We meet up at the center. We have four hours."

"Permission to kill anyone else that stands in the way, Danchou." Feitan eyed the corner where the chain-assassin sat on. He was making his intention very clear. They had waited for this comeback for more than a year and none of them would allow anybody to ruin that. Even if the Kuruta donned their tattoo, it still didn't mean she was part of it. Feitan looked at their Danchou's eyes waiting for his approval.

"Permission granted." Feitan smiled behind his collar, just one wrong move from that Kuruta and he would end her life, slowly and painfully.

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Kurapika maintained her stoic face as she saw another lifeless body fall to the ground. The security towards the meeting room was starting to get heavy but they were still no match against the human machine gun. Before somebody could whip out their phone and call for backup, the giant Franklin, would have already placed a huge hole on their heads immediately killing them.

They left a bloody trail on the previously pristine white marble floor as they headed to the room where the Mafia bosses conferred. Her ears rung with the constant firing of bullets and her hearing had been slightly off because of it.

Kurapika was not surprised to only see two guards posted in front of the door and they were shaking badly from fright. They started to fire from modified guns which Franklin easily deflected with his nen bullets. The three of them continued walking forward. One guard muttered something along the lines of 'stop' but was cut off yet again by Franklin's nen bullets. The guards fell back with bullet holes on their forehead; their death had been swift and relatively painless.

The three of them stood a few feet away from the wide mahogany doors. The room was quiet, probably because it was sound-proofed or the people inside were already trying their best to keep quiet. The commotion they made added with the bombings on the other side of the mansion was something that could never get missed. They could hear the blended screams of those getting massacred along with the sounds of buildings crumbling.

Franklin gunned the door jambs and the doors dropped forward with a loud bang. Inside, contained the seven feared Mafia bosses who had planned to rid the world of them, the irony of it all that they were the ones getting wiped out. One desperate boss who at first was vehement against plotting against the Spiders but was eventually persuaded by the majority, tried to preserve his neck and threw a briefcase that landed in front of Kuroro. Kuroro eyed the bag disdainfully and looked at the owner.

"There's more where that came from! Spare me and I'll dou-" He wasn't able to continue what he was saying. His body was impaled to the wall behind him by a pen. His body twitched as reflex and blood flowed from his mouth and from his broken neck. He would have screamed from the excruciating pain, if his throat wasn't crushed to bits and rendered useless. His blood dripped from his body staining the million dollar carpet and his body stopped moving altogether. He was dead. The other bosses seated on the table looked at each other, the briefcase full of money clasped in their hands could not bargain for their lives but they gripped it for comfort. They looked at the dead man with dread, all of them knew they were goners. They were white as sheet and paled more as they waited for the man's verdict. They knew who he was, the man with the cross-shaped birthmark on his forehead. He was none other than Kuroro Lucifer, leader of the Class-A bounty criminal group that hailed from Ryuuseigei. He was supposed to be dead. But why was he here? A ghost? Or was he really alive? A devil like him can't die, can he? _Was he even mortal? _They should have known better than to plot against him.

Kuroro stepped inside the room, the nearest lord stood up with a knife in his hand. In a blink of an eye, he lied on the ground with his head rolling to the ground. The remaining men stood still. Trying to kill Kuroro Lucifer was suicide, as their ally Delta has experienced. The remaining lords were not as reckless as him though, they pulled out their weapons and placed it on top of the table trying to please and if possible bargain for their lives.

"…What do you want?!" Liecasto, the main head of the little rebellion barked towards the younger man. He felt fear, but between being docile and being aggressive, he knew in the end they were all dead anyway. So he chose the latter. He wiped his sweaty forehead with his hand. He was the leader of one of the most powerful Mafia's in the world! He shall bow to no one!

Kuroro gave them a cold, cold smile. With four pins in his hand, he killed the remaining mafia. It was pathetic, how easy they have paraded inside and massacred everybody. Kuroro particularly spared the man at the head of the table. He had unfinished business with him and after that he shall know the real meaning of terror before meeting his death, Kuroro would make sure of it.. Liecasto looked around the table, taking a good hard look at his dead 'friends'. Kuroro Lucifer gave them all a clean hit, with no blood flowing out of the impaled object unlike what happed to March whose neck had been turned to bits. But Liecasto refused to be bullied around and remained proud. His back-up would come any minute now! A strong nen user who can outwit this group.

"Where are they?" Kuroro inquired, he was ready for a full out interrogation. But considering the remaining time that they had left he would have to make it short.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Liecasto fumed. Kuroro's smile widened at his outburst. He could see through his lie. Kuroro's cold eyes looked into the man like reading his every thought. Liecasto bravely looked on.

Kurapika who stood at the side watched the scene unfold in front of her and looked closely at the victims. She had seen their faces before in some of the parties Light Nostrade held while he still had his money. Like Nostrade, they were Mafia bosses who tried to claw their way up in the game by ganging up and plotting against a stronger group until they were able to usurp their power and funds, they were powerful that way and very influential.

Those groups all had something in common, they were small groups who thought too highly of themselves and fought dirtier than the rest. Light Nostrade had been one of them and the dead men were his accomplices up until some months ago. Liecasto had been a memorable face while she was still the head bodyguard of Neon, somebody who she'll never forget.

She had accompanied the Nostrades at this very mansion a few months ago, Liecasto tried to woo the young Nostrade with a pair of scarlet eyes. She had been known as an avid body part collector and Liecastro knew just how to manipulate her. Kurapika's eyes glowed the moment she saw them but her dark contact lenses made sure her own scarlet eyes won't get discovered. While Neon oohed and ahhed at the pair, Kurapika wondered whose eyes they were. When Light had refused Liecasto's pedophile proposal not because of fatherly issues but because, as Light Nostrade had worded it: He was getting the short end of the deal. Liecasto snatched back the scarlet eyes and locked it away in his cellar. He boasted about his newly constructed triple lock facility that nobody could decode or break except for him. He was very wrong though because that very night Kurapika along with the help of Senritsu had taken the pair, triple lock facility be damned and they found another pair of scarlet eyes in that vault. They found two pairs that night. Kurapika and Senritsu left as swiftly as they came with the scarlet eyes in tow.

Kurara went back to reality, the room was silent save for the heavy breathing of Liecasto. But she could hear something. Some fists pounding... Kurapika strained her ears more. She ignored everything else and focused on that. Aside from the pounding fists, she could hear soft cries.

Kurapika summoned her dowsing chain and moved around the room. They were close whatever was making that sound, they must be on the next room or below. Her chain moved and stopped infront of a metal door. She pressed her ears to the door and like what she thought, she could hear children crying. Kurapika stepped back, with her emperor time she was able to enhance her strength and punch through the metal door until it gave way. She gave the door one final kick and she entered the room.

She saw eight young girls curled up in one corner hugging themselves. They were shaking like leaves. There was only one small bed with two pillows they all cramped themselves. At their side, where empty plates and a dirty cup where they all must have used to drink water. The girls looked dehydrated, thin, dirty and malnourished. Their eyes were big against their faces. As Kurapika looked at them she knew the oldest couldn't have been more than seven years old while the youngest looked like three. One thought entered her mind: They were the children kidnapped from Ryuuseigei.

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A/n: Thank you so much for reading! :) I'm not that happy with this chapter. T-T. It's a bit messy and sloppy, I'll try to fix it when I can. I haven't updated in a long time and I'm really sorry, college has been a hard lately with all the tests, projects and deadline and stuff. :'( I need a day squeezed in between Saturday and Sunday. I think we all do. :D

But anyway, I'm glad this chapter is done! :) I find Kuroro talkative in this chapter and ooc. :( hahaha, but I really find him hard to write.

In this chapter, Kurapika has been referred to as a 'he' when she was being refered to by the people who don't know her real gender (in this story). I would like to thank: LordOfTheWest (thank you so much! :D while writing down this chapter I struggled with that. Hihi), Guest (thank you!), Smile-Smile-Smile (thanks, I'm happy you liked it! C:), I'oOoMoOo (Nope, it's Kuropika :)), Arrow (thank you!), thereviewer123 (thank you!), MelonBerry(thank you! But nope, he wasn't skinned alive but he was beaten badly and he was red because of the blood. :D), LunaNymph (Thank you for the kind words! :D I'll really try my best not to mess this up. ), Guest (thank you!)

And I would like to thank as well those who added and followed this story, thanks! :)

Please leave a review! :D (it would make me very happy C:)

edited: 8-21-2013

8-22-2013 Very big thanks to nen for correcting me! :D I'll explain your question in the next update but thank you so much!


	4. Chapter 4

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Twisted

What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted.

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chapter four

Liecasto was no more. He was- or rather what was left of his unrecognizable flesh was thrown across the round table, attach to what was previously designed as a foot was the same message that was left on her grandfather's corpse. _**We reject no one. So take nothing from us.**_

Kurapika rolled her eyes heavenward, she did not want to look at that reminder. It made her imagine just how hard her family fought, struggled and lost. It wasn't an easy death either. But unlike her tribesmen, Liecasto deserved to suffer for all the atrocities he made the girls go through. Though they were all young, they all showed signs of deep trauma and hardships. Some girls shook violently while some stared blankly into space like empty vessels. The girls flinched when Kurapika tried to reach out to them. Perhaps not trusting a stranger was a characteristic of Ryuuseigei children but their eyes showed how abnormal their fear for outsiders was... Because of Liecasto. Kurapika would never admit it to anybody else but whatever Kuroro Lucifer did to that monster, he deserved it. The bastard.

Kuroro entered the small room where the girls were kept. He looked around it with dettachment. The responsive children immediately recognized him by the distinct cross on his forehead, at first they slowly stood up and after a few steps made a dash to him. But they didn't dare make any physical contact, they felt the unwritten rule of no touching. When Franklin stepped inside the room he frowned at the poor state of it. He mentally compared the furnishings of the posh meeting room outside to the barely furnished rathole where they kept the children. This little prison could have been furnished better, Franklin thought.

Kuroro and Franklin headed out while the girls followed them wordlessly. The little girls nudged and helped each other get up. Kurapika purposely stayed behind and waited until the last of the children were out. She observed them one by one and frowned everytime she saw a bruise or a limp. Two little girls walked slower than the rest. At closer inspection, Kurapika saw the younger girl sporting a bad limp and the other girl was trying her best to assist.

"Let me carry you." Kurapika stood infront of the limping girl and waited for her permission. Both girls looked at her with distrust etched on their faces. The older girl looked aggresive but did not say anything, she was snarling and looked extremely displeased. The younger girl gave a very small nod, which Kurapika took as an approval. She carried the little girl and was not at all dismayed to find her very light for her age, she had expected that much. The older girl did not take her eyes off Kurapika and watched her every move with slanted, accusing eyes.

"I'm not going to eat you, you know." Kurapika gently said but the underlying message was clear enough. _Stop it._

"That's what they said." The girl barked back. She stopped walking and clenched her fists to her side until they were white.

"What?" Kurapika also stopped and looked at the girl curiously.

"Amaya tripped and _they_ said 'let me carry you'," the little girl was still not making any sense but Kurapika reigned her patience in check, stopped her eyebrows from furrowing together and looked at the girl with as much calmness as she could muster. "That's what they said when they took us in."

_Ah_, she finally understood. Kurapika could only ruffle the girl's hair and start walking again. She couldn't offer any reassurance or words of comfort that it would be alright. Look at her, she had promised herself she would get strong and kill the Genei Ryodan. But what happened? She did become stronger but she was part of the spider. A limb. Everything is not alright.. At least... not until she had her chains back and had wiped out the spiders.

The three of them caught up with the rest of the Genei Ryodan right at the very core of the house. The children were unfazed by the gore and fire surrounding the area that Kurapika deduced they were probably used to it already. At one corner, Shizuku was 'cleaning up' while at another area the fun fun cloth was laid down on a corner and all types of treasuries were being piled carelessly. The troupe went on as usual and paid no heed to the wide-eyed children whose futures have not yet been planned. In the little trip Kurapika made, she found out that Amaya and Keiya were sisters and orphans. Or at least have no adults who claim to be their parents. The house was still burning badly and the flames started getting heavier and heavier.

The smoke started to make the hard children of Ryuuseigei cough while the adults continued on. When at last the last of the treasures have been placed on the fun fun cloth, Kuroro faced the children and pondered what to do with them exactly.

He had not expected the children to be this many. At most he had only imagined three. With five more, the children would pose as a problem in traveling with them. He had not been joking when he taunted the Kuruta about the transportation cloth being gone.

He eyed the fun fun cloth and decided the children would fit right in along with the treasures. They wouldn't pose as a problem when it came to the robbed treasures. No idiot would even dare such a move and Ryuuseigai children know better than anybody else the consequence of thieving from the Geneiryodan.

"Danchou what about the kids?" Phinks inquired. He had never handled children before and the thought of them, the spiders, holding and carrying children did not settle so well with the big man.

"Put them along with the treasures." Kuroro said cassually. All of the children would fit well in the cloth, and it would be less troublesome carrying them all in his pocket.

"No, you won't!" Kurapika protested, she eyed the said cloth in disdain before looking at him. Kuroro looked impassively at the girl, already expecting a violent reaction from her. She gripped the child in her arms tighter. He rolled his eyes at her naitivity and impracticality. He saw his other spiders narrow their eyes and look murderously at their newest limb, still the girl remained unfazed and continued to talk. "That would be inhumane. Can't you just carry them?"

Kuroro gave her a charming smile, one that would be sure to infuriate the girl further before replying. "Easier said than done, Kuruta."

"_Fine_ then. I'll take care of them all." Kurapika then proceeded to the children. Her anger continued to grow as the spiders valued the treasures more than the children. But she souldn't have expected any less from scums like them. "I shouldn't have expected anything less."

"You know you aren't doing anybody any favors by cuddling them." Kuroro informed her. He must have seen the worried motherly look on her face everytime she looked at the children. Kurapika raised an eyebrow at him and sneered.

"Like _you_ would know." Kurapika remarked sarcastically. She rolled her eyes heavenward before returning her attention to the children, thinking about how to lead them away without losing any of them.

"Contrary to what you think. You are making them weak."

Kurapika twisted her head sharply and gave him another one of her glares. "Oh, do I?!"

Kuroro smirked at her ignorance. Outsiders would never understand how delicate the upbringing in Ryuuseigai was. The children need to be hardened in order to survive to adulthood, showing kindness now would only break down the walls they have built around themselves and Kuroro knew, the girl would not be there for the children all the time. A moment's kindness does more bad than good. Only a few people could understand that. He thought it useless to tell the girl that. She would only bombard him with her idealistic thinking that would never apply in real life. He smiled as Kurapika herded the girls closer to her.

Kurapika eyed them every now and then, making sure nobody got lost. They were walking in the city towards the warehouse, some passerbys gave the odd group composed of a blonde woman and eight scarily malnourished girls covered in bruises all queer looks but a glare from Kurapika made them snap back to what they were doing and let the group be. She had the girls form a parallel line. One lane composed of the limp children while the others where composed of the well ones.

So far the children were well organized. They were slow in comparison to the other spiders who must have already reached the warehouse after the first hour. They made several stops along the way and twice, Kurapika bought some sweetened ice as treats to the wide-eyed but extremely delighted children. They consumed the treat with so much vigor to the point where Kurapika thought they might get sick from eating it so fast.

With the children, it took her more than a good three hours before finally reaching the warehouse. When they arrived some of the spiders were crouching down on the floor playing cards. Kurapika gave her characteristic scowl which the spiders returned. They commented about how long it took for her to get back to the warehouse.

Kurapika sat at her usual corner in the warehouse, the children have been given enough clean water and bread by Shalnark. After a few hours of doing nothing and just looking at the Geneiryodan as if they were memorizing every detail, the girls contentedly fell asleep on the carboard covered floor. Amaya and her sister were sleeping not far from Kurapika.

Far from the sleeping children, Kuroro started to brief the group about their plans on the next assignment. Kurapika did not bother participate in the discussion.

They have planned to rob an auction and a newly opened museum. But unlike the Yorkshin Auction that happened some time ago, the Genei Ryodan planned to only steal a couple of select items. Only the rarest artefact and the whole collection of lost (but now found) ancient Egyptian texts the auction had ceremoniously bragged about the past months would be their target. For the museum, they had some displays about another line of ancient texts that greatly intrigued Kuroro. Kurapika rolled her eyes. Trust the man to commit a large-scale crime just to satisfy a stupid whim and hobby.

She observed them and compared them to the criminals she had encountered as a blacklist hunter. The Geneiryodan worked in finesse and such teamwork. Kurapika had to wonder how degenerade criminals like them could follow their 'Danchou's order without question and with iron-like obedience. There seemed to be no attempt at usurping Kuroro's position as the head. Order in the world's most notorious criminal group, Kurapika sneered at the irony of it all.

As she observed them more, she had taken note how none of them were like the other sloppy criminals she had hunted down in the past. They were still rawdy judging from how they argued with each other about how somebody cheated in the card game but none of them had the 'low class' criminal aura that resulted in stupid fight to the death fist-fights. When things started to get heated, somebody would pull out a coin and flip it. That must be their way of setlting things.

For the group's next agenda, Kurapika was relieved to sit that one out. Although she was bored to death doing nothing but seating around all day, she was glad not to take part in any more useless death and killings. Along with her, Kuroro stayed behind the warehouse and went on his usual reading. It was ridicolously dark with only a burning candle for light yet the man continued to read. All the while, he sported the same passive look and thin smile on his face.

The children were gone by then, sent back to Ryuuseigai. Shalnark had been given that mission. Kurapika would have voluntered but she could never bring herself to ask for any job concerning the Ryuuseigai, it might give them the impression that she had accepted being one of them. And she doubt Kuroro would even allow her to go do the job. She sighed heavily and stood up wanting for a breath of fresh air.

"Where are you going?" Kuroro asked without moving his head from the book. The hair on Kurapika's back prickled because of him. He was probably the biggest freak to roam the Earth.

"None of your business." Kurapika said, she continued walking towards the exit when she heard an exasperated sigh and a book closing.

"You are breaking our agreement, Kuruta." Kuroro told her. Kurapika was slightly happy to note the strained sound in his voice, at least she knew she was causing some trouble for them and not at all making this an easy flight especially for him. Though childish and a little selfish, she found satisfaction in that.

"No, I am not." Kurapika spat. She turned around at the same time Kuroro materialized her chain jail. He was threatening to use the thing against her. Her eyes turned to their brilliant red hues the moment she saw them. She wasn't used- or will never get used to seeing her chain used by somebody else much less used on her. She looked at the tips of her chain down to the trail leading to its new wielder. "You low, motherfucking, scum _bastard._"

"I asked you a question, Kuruta." Kuroro willed the chain to dance like the waves in the ocean. It had been the first time he actually used it against a spider, his mouth twisted in a satisfied line as he saw the raging Kuruta. The chains felt like an extension of him, the power behind it was stronger than what he had originally guessed. He didn't bother telling her off about her language anymore, the Kuruta could cuss and swear all she want. The truth remains that she is a spider, willingly made or not. Although his members loved to cuss at every opportunity, Kuroro never fashioned himself to do so but that didn't mean he wasn't used to it. Cussing and criminal life came hand in hand afterall. "I suggest you answer."

"Since when do I answer to you?!" Kurapika yelled at him. Her eyes burned even brighter. The candle light run down its course and the only light came from the moon pouring from the broken windows. It embraced them like a blanket and Kurapika's golden hair was tinted with silver along with Kuroro's black ones. The dark background only enhanced the scarlet eyes, complimenting it in its glory.

"Since the night you got that tattoo." Kuroro answered her. His tone was mocking but he wasn't done with his taunts, "Is one not enough? Should I add another one?"

"Brand me all you want. I will never be one of you!" It was a good thing they were alone in the warehouse. Had the rescued children been there they would have woken up from all the noise and hostility surrounding them.

"Don't make it harder for yourself. Yield, Kuruta." _You already lost_, he added mentally. He saw how she shook when she got her initiation tattoo. That tattoo was no doubt traumatic for her and he saw beyond her strong facade. A scared little girl, disgusted by the spider tattoo on her chest. She masked her fear with anger and indifference, no doubt classifying what happened as a another reason to add to her growing list of reasons to hate their group. But it was still there. He could see it flow from the Kuruta. That tattoo served more than a punishment but a reminder how she failed in her little vendetta. She wouldn't be able to take another tattoo, much less the whole troupe numbers until it stuck in her head that she was one of them now.

"I won't ever. I gave you my word, now let go of me." Kuroro did not notice the chain wrap itself around Kurapika. He raised his eyebrow in wonder. So the chain can respond to the inner thoughts of its wielder?, Kuroro smiled at his discovery. He dematerialized the nen chains. "But someday, I will satisfy my clan with your blood."

Kuroro gave her a welcoming smile, as if to say 'Go ahead and try.'

"I will ask you again, don't you feel any remorse killing innocent people who never did anything to you?" Kurapika hissed. Her clan had been peaceful, they had avoided contact from the outside world and only a few select people trusted by the council were allowed to go out to buy only the neccesities. They were a peace loving tribe, didn't they feel any remorse killing them one by one? "Innocent lives just for the sake of money. You disgust me."

"Naive little girl. You won't ever understand." Kuroro chuckled at her. She was mortified when he had laughed at the crime they did. He eyes blazed again and with her enhanced strength aimed her fist at Kuroro's'jaw, much like how she punched him in the car. Kuroro caught her fist midair and gripped it tight. The bones on her arm cracked as his hand gripped it tighter. "We reject no one so take nothing from us."

"I should kill you now and be done with it." Kuroro only looked at her and Senritsu's voice played back in her head, the man who had already accepted death.

"You can't ever do that, Kuruta." Kurapika broke her arm free from his grip, crushing the bones on her arm in the process. She swinged a leg at him which he caught as well. This time though, Kuroro did not allow her to break free from his grip. He threatened to break the bone but Kurapika was not scared. He was not the only one who can accept death.

"I don't fear death." She told him. "I can die a thousand times as long as I take you down with me."

"Then you have a problem. You are strong." Kuroro snapped her bone and let go of it. Kurapika immediately stumbled down without support from her leg. It was broken and had started to swell. "But I am stronger."

Kuroro walked back to his seat but continued to look at her, "Heal yourself."

Kurapika refused to put out her chain and Kuroro gave her a knowing smirk. "Scared that I will steal it from you?"

Kurapika did not answer. She summoned it and her bone quickly set itself. She fixed her arm as well. She didn't look back at Kuroro as she stomped away from the main warehouse and climbed one of the roofs. She laid down on the cold roof and looked up the twinkling stars. She laid there and what her Master Mizuken pleaded played back in her head.

_'Let go Kurapika, forget about this foolisheness. Forget about revenge nothing good will come out of it.'_ That was the last thing he said to her, had it been de ja vu? Her teacher was right, her nen had been remarkably strong, the product of her sheer hard work but now she does not wield it anymore. What was the point of all those rough training?

Kurapika was frustrated. She sat up upright and undid two buttons of her top. Though it was dark with only the faint moonlight for company, Kurapika distinguised the shape of the spider with so much accuracy. The sharp limbs looked menacing and mocking. It glinted and for a moment Kurapika pretended it wasn't plastered on her skin.

Looking at it burned her eyes and she didn't notice herself crying until she realized the choking sounds she heard came from her mouth. She bit her lips to prevent herself from screaming out loud. She promised herself on the mounds of her fallen tribe, she would get their revenge and bring back their eyes.

Maybe the tattoo was a blessing in disguise, everytime she would see it her anger would awaken. Yes, she was afraid. She felt fear. Fear from failure but not from death. She feared her rage would fade over time. But with a cruel reminder right on top of her chest, Kurapika knew it would burn until the end of time enough to fuel a life-long vendetta.

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The Kuruta went back to the main warehouse about the same time as the rest of his spiders. His spiders brought back with them the auctioned materials and each of them reaked of bloodlust. They finished faster than the alloted time. Kuroro thought because they were still paranoid that their newest member might have had attempted to murder him. His spiders were looking for a reason to kill the girl. He could read it in their eyes.

Nobunaga above all, lusted for his own revenge. "I swear if that little shithead did any harm even to a single strand on Danchou's hair, spider or no I will butcher her."

Kurapika scowled at him but did not say anything back. She was past the point of caring what they thought. If whatever happened resulted in them fighting, she wouldn't think twice on extracting her own revenge.

"What are you looking at?! Don't think we accept you after all that you did!" Nobunaga spat.

"And don't think I even want to be accepted by you!" Kurapika yelled back. She balled her fists and her chain materialized, "That's the last thing that I'd want. Don't delude yourself."

Her coolheadedness left her, but was instead replaced by her brash words. She remembered the time with her friends when they had argued over her not killing her opponent during the hunter exam in trick tower. Leorio had been furious and started a yelling rampage yet she didn't yell back at him. But now, she was matching note for note.

"Nobunaga, Danchou could more than take care of himself." Machi broke the argument, her instinct have tingled for her to intercept. She eyed Danchou, who still looked his characteristic dettachment but was slightly tinged with wariness. He, after all, was a man of solitude. Machi returned her gaze to the quarelling pair. The hostility in the air was a given and in fact understandable. The said samurai grumbled beneath his breath while still refusing to back down while the Kuruta returned to scowling.

"Let's settle this with a coin toss, like how we always do." Shizuku suggested. Her eyeglasses slipped down her nose and she pushed it back using her index finger. Kurapika assessed the girl when Shizuku faced her, she was one of the members added after her tribe's massacre, as what Hisoka told her. Kurapika felt something akin to hate towards her, yet the feeling was not as strong as to the other spiders who have butchered her tribe. Her hate sprung from when she had participated in other mass murders commited by the group. "Danchou said spiders are forbidden to fight each other seriously."

"I refuse!" Kurapika yelled. She clenched her hands until they were white. Who knew such law among them existed? But it won't ever govern her. Shizuku stopped midway from getting the coin out of her pocket and looked at Kurapika quizically.

"Pfft. As if I'll take her seriously." Nobunaga smirked at Kurapika. "She's'practically impaired without her chai-"

Nobunaga wasn't able to finish what he was about to say when Kurapika's dowsing chain hit him square in the jaw. He stumbled back from the impact and blood dripped from his split lip. He spat saliva to the side and noted it had a bloody tooth with it. He scowled. Kurapika's bottled frustrations was placed in that punch.

"I won't let that pass you shit!" Nobunaga drawed his sword and charged at Kurapika with his enhanced speed. He slashed to the left and right, his movements precise. Kurapika barely dodged them but managed to defend herself without getting shredded to ribbons. Her chains were effective offense and defense against his sword but not appropriate for attack.

Kurapika conjured her familar twin sword blades and started blocking off Nobunaga's sword with her own. The training she had since when she was able to walk was perfect and she was able to keep up with the master swordsman. They were in a lock with both of them using their enhanced strength. All eyes were on them. Some of the other spiders were vividly watching the show while the others watched with less interest. It was bound to happen sooner or later anyway. They knew Nobunaga had been baiting the girl to have a fight.

Kurapika expected him to fight dirty but he didn't. They were stopped when they both of them found themselves impaled on the walls by their sleeves. The spiders all looked away from the little show except for Feitan and Phinks who were smirking.

Lucky for Kurapika who was not directly in front of Kuroro's vision, her left sleeved was the only part of her clothing impaled, her right hand was able to pluck herself free.

Kuroro did not say anything but only looked at them. His spiders got the message clearly and they scrambled away. Their Danchou never got pissed off with them even in their roughest rough housing. But veryone knew this was far from the usual brawls they have enjoyed over the years.

"Hey help me down!" Everybody ignored Nobunaga.

Kuroro started briefing them on what will happen for their last acitivity in their comeback, they were going to rob the the best Musuem in the world. Nobunaga thought that if Uvogin was still alive he'd be ecstastic with all the promised fighting with the seasoned mafia. Nobunaga narrowed his eyes at the blonde head not too far from him. She was the reason Uvogin won't be able to experience the ecstacy of fighting. She robbed them of their family. And she robbed him his bestfriend.

He twisted his body and ripped his clothing. He didn't mind at all and he continued to glare at the little blonde. She was a good swordsman, but he was still better. Nobunaga assessed. Her actions were more governed by her emotions but if she- Nobunaga stopped his thoughts midway. He was not going to analyze the weakness and points for improvement of that bastard. He was half listening to their Danchou explain the mechanics of their mission while he grumbled about how he hated the bastard.

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Kurapika had been given clothes to wear for their mission tonight. She would pose as a bodyguard for Kuroro and Shalnark along with Machi. She looked at the clothes and immediately refused. She had not given Shalnark who had just returned from Ryuuseigai time to even persuade her to wear the modest gown.

She had only accepted to go out when Shalnark offered to buy her a new set of tuxedo because she had refused to wear 'any of their damned clothes' when he had offered to lend her his spare ones.

Kurapika finally cut her hair back to its comfortable length and tied it in a neat ponytail. She wore the familiar pair of black contact lenses before stepping out of the warehouse where his 'bosses' where waiting. She scowled at them.

She did not ask where they had gotten the sleek new looking limousine. She sat at the front of the car in the driver's seat, Kurapika wanted to put as much distance as possible from Kuroro Lucifer lest she might strangle him, their last confrontation had added more fuel to her anger and resentment.

The girl, Machi, wore a decent looking gown, she observed at the corner of her eye. Kurapika had scowled when they had given her a dress to put on. She was more comfortable wearing clothes like this, Kurapika tugged the sleeved of her new black coat. The material was soft to her touch and not itchy unlike the coat she had worn before under Nostrade.

The car stopped and Kurapika went out the limousine to grudgingly open the car door for her 'bosses' to step out of. Her black contact lenses met with Kuroro's natural ones and she immediately scowled while he gave a small charming smile characteristic of the pampered arrogant pricks present in the grand unveiling of the texts.

Kurapika and Machi walked two steps behind them and followed them until they reached one of the private waiting rooms, where they await for the others to arrive and give them the signal. Kurapika felt her rage boil up as she tried to dull everything out. Tonight, majority would die as what Kuroro had explained yesterday. The exhibit today was only open to the underground world, the spiders were given permission to eliminate all that stood in their way.

When the signal was given, a loud boom would be made by the giant Franklin's nen bullets and they would start to wreak havoc. The private waiting room where Kuroro had specifically requested was located near the center of the exhibit and can only be reserved by royalty. He had to pull many stunts to secure them the room and once again Kurapika did not want to know the process.

THHUUUUUUUUUUD

Shalnark had opened his phone, they heard gun shots and immediately one of the wall in their room collapsed and showed a group of burly men holding guns with a puppet expression on their faces standing in front of them. Shalnark continued pressing buttons on his phone and the men turned their backs and continued to walk and shoot the other men who got in their way. A bloody massacre was starting again and Kurapika refused to take any part of it.

Much like what happened at her first mission with them, they looked like strolling in the park as the men dropped dead one by one.

They reached the center easily and saw the yellowish parchment encased in a thick glass. Machi closed the door and was not fazed to see the room filled with more than fifty men pointing their guns at their direction. They also felt advanced nen-users among their mist.

"Stop whatever you are doing!" The commander of the group said and Shalnark closed his phone, the remaining bloodied men dropped to the ground. The commander upon seeing the calm looks on their faces started to sweat. Kurapika knew what was going to happen, Kuroro had already predicted it and it was all part of their plan.

Kuroro walked towards the middle of the room and the commander with his shaking voice commanded him to stop. Kuroro continued walking and only stopped when he was infront of the display. He ran his hands at the glass case feeling the thickness of it.

The commander who was beyond freaked out ordered his men to start shooting them. Machi cut the bullets with her nen strings. Some of them had been amazed with her skill as the bullets never got any closer than four feet from her. The bullets dropped to the ground, sliced at its center.

Shalnark resumed manipulating the mafia like his personal toys, the nen-users were no exception. With the nen-users fighting each other, their enemies' number quickly depleted. Kurapika did not do anything aside from deflect the bullets hurled her way. It wouldn't take long before the room would be filled corpses and they would be the only ones alive to inhibit the room... again.

Kuroro pulled out his benz knife and cut a clean square over the glass and pulled out the text. It was tissue paper thin and with practiced fingers Kuroro gently stored the paper in a specialized tube. He looked at his spiders and noted that the mafia were all dead. Some were still alive and twitching in pain. They had no more than five minutes to live, Kuroro lead the group to the other display they were going to loot.

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_'Breaking news. The world is shaken once more as the notorious group called Geneiryodan thought to be disbanded and dead once again emer-'_

The television died down as Leorio threw the remote down his couch. He was scowling at nothing in particular. He was returned more than two weeks ago to his small apartment by the spiders. He had contacted Gon and Killua of what had happened. They arrived some days later but they did not blame him. When they started formulating a plan to help Kurapika escape they were reminded by Leorio that escaping would cause her to die by the judgement chain.

"Ossan! What was that about, I was watching!" Killua said irritatedly. He grabbed another bar of chocolate and munched it away at the same time glaring at Leorio.

"Tche! Looking at their face makes my blood boil!" Leorio shouted back, he flopped down the other couch and munched on some of Killua's'prized chocolate. He wondered about Kurapika, whether or not she was given food and suddenly he lost appetite and threw the barely eaten chocolate in the table.

"What's wrong, Leorio?" Gon, the naturally kind kid asked. Leorio told him what he had thought earlier and Gon gave him a reassured smile. "Don't worry Leorio! I don't think they will mistreat Kurapika. But we have to contact her soon."

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Leorio looked at the younger kid. "They are going to kill her if she escapes with us."

"No, Leorio.. You don't understand. We'll just visit her." Gon beamed at him. "At times like this she needs us more!"

Leorio snorted.

"What?" Gon asked.

"At times like this Gon, what could we possibly do for Kurapika?" Leorio asked wryly. He had not been any help to Kurapika in their little mission. In fact, he caused her to lose her well worked for chains.

"Just be her friend." Gon smiled at him.

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A/N. Big apologies for the last chapter. My mind must have been so messed up to leave so many mistakes here and there.

Big thank you once again to Nen for pointing out about the spider numbers! :D I read your review at around 6 in the morning and I was still groggy but when I read it I buried my face in the pillow out of pure embarrassment. XD thanks for pointing that out! I can't believe myself sometimes. :")

About the part where Kuroro could use the judgement chain even without the scarlet eyes is because of an ability he posseses which I will introduce in the coming chapters. I don't know what number yet but we will tackle that ability in the future. :D

For chocolander, I'm very sorry about the mixed up.:( I haven't written that part properly.T-T Kurapika did not use her chains in the previous chapter because the Kuroro's bandit's book abilities starts with him watching the ability in action, Kurapika had deduced that much (though I don't know if I wrote this part properly. please forgive my lack of refinement for last chapter.):D that's why she was reluctant to use her abilities, and she was probably traumatized by the ability stealing nen at that time. But when she does use her chain (dowsing) it was the time where her instincts kick in that she has to find out where the crying was coming from. :D I hope I explained it properly if you still have questions please feel free to ask and thank you very much for reading! *insert big heart*

I have learned my lesson... I shall not type stories while living solely on caffeine and chocolate. Not only did I mess up last chapter, I also messed up some college works. :( and I will never ever forget to bring an umbrella ever again.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading! For those who subscribed, favorited both this story and me thank you so much! And special thanks to the following who reviewed you guys made me smile! :D: LordOftheWest (He has XD), LunaNymph (thank you so much! :D), Alkira11 (Nope, you can't.. Wait.. I'll go check in my cue cards... I'll get back to that when I find them. Sorry, I'm such a clutter bunny. I'll really get back to you. But thanks for the review! :D), I'oOoMoOo (Thanks!), Kiheitai(Thanks!), MARYLOVER (yup and the things that they will do might wreak havoc but it would be nice to see them do whatever gigs they want. XD), Melonberry (I thought about that whether or not they should do the usual tattoo, but naaaah. Mihihi. Thanks! :D), that girl you will love (thank you!), . .ribbons (thank you!), rodessalorenzo (thank you!), nen (thank you!), HeyYou3 (thank you!), chocolander(thank you!), xxrhuuxx (thank you!).


	5. Chapter 5

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twisted

What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. TO hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing short of traitorous. It's twisted.

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chapter five

Kuroro was reading one of the ancient texts they have just looted two days ago. The paper was tissue-paper thin and aged with time. It also had that musty smell he had grown accustomed to. The text was written in a different language that used one of the most complicated characters he had ever seen. It took him quite a while to decipher the alphabet, but after some hours he was going through the book like it was his native tongue.

His spiders have gone ahead of them to take care of their own business until he would call for them again. He and the Kuruta on the other hand were traveling by train. He was enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and so far had so much fun ignoring all the dirty looks his companion was giving him. That aside, the book he was reading was interesting. It was about the death rituals of the ancient civilization. No, not the rituals already known by the world but rather rituals that were made secret. The book could never be that accurate, Kuroro deemed. But at least it gave him some ideas. Kuroro guessed that the book was written some hundred years ago by some historian and was preserved well for some purposes but for some unknown reason (he cared not to think about) was never published for the world to see and was left to rot away in some museum.

Well, all that is about to change. Kuroro smirked to himself as he closed the book, having reached the end of it after five hours. He looked at his companion and saw her dozing off, her head supported by her arm and the window.

Kuroro took that time to really look at her, without her characteristic scowls and glares she looked much younger asleep than awake. And perhaps due to the usual stereotypes of sleeping girls, something in his brain described the chain-assassin along the lines of innocence. A funny thought concerning a person who ruthlessly killed two of his limbs. Kuroro chuckled when he remembered how she reacted when she saw a small spider peacefully crawling up the seat in front of her. She started to curse and in an instant she kicked the seat in front, instantly killing the poor spider. He looked at her to find her seething. If he squints and look at the seat beside him, he could still see some of the spider's carcass along with the Kuruta's footprint.

He crossed his legs and continued to make the little observations on his companion until she started to stir when the train ride became bumpy. Kuroro did not avert his eyes even when the Kuruta finally opened her eyes into a scowl directed at him. She was once again wearing her black contact lenses.

"What are you looking at?" She hissed at him. Her head was still throbbing from lack of decent sleep, not to mention her shoulders ache along with her neck. She did not want to stretch her limbs and accidentally touch any part of him. No, thank you. She'd rather stay where she was. "What a cramped train you bought tickets for."

Kuroro smiled at her snide comments.

"And now you're smiling." Kurapika rolled her eyes and looked outside the window, pretending she was traveling alone rather than as a glorified prisoner. From her peripheral vision, she saw Kuroro sitting still across from her.

"Coffee or tea?" The cart lady asked them both.

"Coffee for me please." Kurapika rolled her eyes at Kuroro's politeness and at the cart lady for blushing. The woman smiled at him and handed him a cup of steaming coffee with an additional sugar biscuit then she turned expectedly at Kurapika.

"Tea for me." Kurapika said. Kurapika looked at the nameplate which read in golden print Nikki. Nikki brought out another container with a handwritten note of 'milk' on the jar and looked expectently at Kurapika, "Three teaspoons, thank you."

NIkki silently handed her the beverage with a noticeable amount of lesser biscuits compared to Kuroro. Nikki gave one final smile at Kuroro before pushing the carts again and asking another group of passengers for their desired snacks. Kurapika drank her tea in silence. It had too much sugar on it, beating out the blend of tea and milk.

"You're frowning Kuruta." Kuroro told her.

"I'm traveling with you." Kurapika placed her cup sharply on the platter and grated a biscuit on her mouth before continuing, " Of course, I have every reason to get upset."

Kurapika did not have to open her eyes to see her companion smile at whatever insult she said. He never seemed to get affected even when her insults have been becoming harder and harder. She drank the last of her tea before resuming looking out the window.

Kuroro took his time with his coffee. The main reason he wanted to ride the train was because of the beverage it offered along with the complimentary chocolate almond biscotti. The Kuruta was very fun to bait and anger, her insults and retorts were nothing short of amusing. Kuroro knew she had already figured out that words mean nothing to him but still continued to hurl snide comments here and there out of plain spite. It amused him to no end, she was like an immature child baiting for the people she did not like to snap.

Kuroro rested his head on the chair and looked outside the window as well. The forest was luscious and green unlike the city. But suddenly Kuroro started to get uneasy. Something was definitely wrong as he continued to look out the window, observing. He narrowed his eyes when he saw a shimmer from the woods and instinctively used gyo. On his own instinct, he grabbed the Kuruta and shielded her head with his hand before using his enhanced strength to punch through the wall and jump from it, taking Kurapika along.

"What in the?!" Kurapika yelled while they tumbled down the field, less than three seconds from when Kuroro jumped from the train dragging her along with him, they heard a loud boom. Kurapika raised her head and saw from the direction where the train disappeared to smoke. Her contacts have fallen earlier and her eyes started to sting from the dust that irritated her eyes, "What did you DO?!"

Kuroro had stood up from where they tumbled down and had already dusted himself off. Unlike her, he still looked immaculate without any hair out of place. He lifted a brow at her and snapped, "Think Kuruta."

"We were just in the train, then the next moment you-" Kurapika was cut off when she instinctively ducked a projectile object hurled at her. In a blink of an eye Kuroro was no longer in front of her but at her back. She stood up and found out she had dislocated a foot from their latest stunt. She looked at her back and saw nine strangers headed their way from that direction.

"Mind your front." Kuroro coldly told her. She did not want to listen but she sensed strong nen headed their way from in front of her, she squinted her eyes and saw five people walking towards them. She once again tried to look at her back to the enemies at her back when Kuroro once again reminded her, "I _said_ mind the front."

Kurapika materialized her chains, preparing herself for offense.

"Oooh, that girl looks a tad bit familiar!" One of the cloaked men howled at the others. Kurapika eyed him, trying to place him somewhere but between the cloak and the latest happenings her brain could not process the face of the voice.

"Can't be!" Another protested, he squinted his eyes and wrinkled his forehead in thought, "Though she looks like that _lad_."

"What lad?!" Somebody howled. Kurapika was debating how to paralyze them or knock the living daylights out of them, they seemed to be some highway men, maybe if they scared them a bit they would leave them alone. But unlike her, who wanted to prevent as much bloodshed as possible, Kuroro had different plans. His bandits book was already conjured in his hand with some ability she haven't seen yet.

Kurapika's eyes narrowed as the people in fron of her all fell to the ground with a soft thud. She did not bother to get angry anymore that Kuroro killed them all. As what to be expected from him, Kurapika wrinkled her nose in disgust. She walked over to the nearest corpse and saw that he was indeed dead and stared to get purple even though he had only died about mere three seconds ago. Kurapika only seethed that he had told her to mind her front when in fact he had already planned to kill them.

She faced Kuroro only to see his back and more corpse.

"If you're going to kill them all, don't bother to tell me to mind anything." She told him, he only looked at her and shrugged.

"I thought you would have had it in you to at least kill your share of the group." He told her coolly before walking away towards the woods. She tailed after him without saying another word. Kurapika looked at the corpses with their eyes still open from the shock of a quick death. She paused mid track and thought whether or not to bury them even in an unmarked grave. She looked at Kuroro's back and conjured in her hand a shovel.

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Looking at her dig up nine graves and fill them all up with soil brought back a memory to Kuroro. He was perched up on a tree with the leaves for company, watching the Kuruta make mounds for the dead. Never in his career had he buried any body he had killed. He had left them all, sometimes face up or sometimes their heads deattached from their body for somebody to find. Better yet, even before killing them he had not cared about their lives.

Kuroro played with a twig, while still looking at the small mounds. The girl had probably left to go look for him when he saw from the corner of his eye, the girl walk back with a bunch of wild flowers on her hands. They were ugly and small but she placed them all on top of mounds and paused for a while before walking away.

She had left minutes before but he was still rooted at his spot. He then let his mind wander to a thought he had pushed at the back of his mind and wondered where Uvo-san's grave was. He was never avenged and never will be, the same as Pakunoda as their killer had become part of their group. But even with that twists and turns, Kuroro was proud to say he had given his friend one of the world's greatest requiem, something Uvogin would have loved and made Pakunoda smile even a bit. Kurapika might have killed Uvogin but from what Kuroro saw the girl would not have had the heart in her to leave the corpse behind to rot and be the subject of humiliation and mockery. He jumped down the branch he occupide and walked towards one of the mounds. They were made perfectly and the flowers, ugly that they were, did not look half as bad when placed on top of the mounds.

He walked to finally find his companion. No doubt, in his mind she would already be livid for him to be going off somewhere and think that he was making fun of her again.

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Where is that bastard, Kurapika asked herself. She had been walking aimlessly for the past half an hour and found no hair nor hide of that bastard. She had climbed the highest tree to look for him and still she had not gotten any trace of him. It was getting exhausting and irritable. Kurapika slumped back down a tree trunk and hissed a string of colorful words.

Kurapika heard some rustling of leaves and she lifted her head and saw Kuroro leaning across a tree looking at her impassively. She would not ask him where he had been, he might get the wrong ideas and think that somehow she had cared about getting left behind. She did not care but it was infuriating to know that they had forced her to be a 'part' of them yet they did not have any ounce of dignity to at least make life a little easier and offer some decency.

"Shaky teamwork is really infuriating." Kurapika started off. She stood up and dusted her cothes, her hands stung a little from the blisters she had gotten from burrying nine men all on her own. "That's why I prefer to work alone."

"I think you prefer to do anything with the exception of doing it with us." By us both of them knew Kuroro was refering to the Geneiryodan. Kurapika sneered at him and he continued, "Kuruta, like it or not you are already a member of the Geneiryodan. We had this talk before and this is getting tiresome."

"Che. You can't expect me to kill anybody who I fancy. Unlike you, I do not live for killing others." Kurapika snapped. She remembered the nine men she buried earlier, if he wanted he could have only paralized them and let them live another day. She told him so and he told her the same answer when she confronted him first about it. Kurapika bit back the retorts she had, seeing it would be going around in circles. She slumped back down the tree trunk. "What now?"

Kuroro sat down across from her, "We are going to Ryuuseigai."

"I don't even want to go there." Kurapika mumbled to herself. Something soft landed next to her, when she looked at it, it turned out to be a red apple.

"Eat. Ryuuseigai is a three day trip by land." Kuroro bit into his own apple and ate it silently. Kurapika grudgingly took the apple and wondered where he got it. It didn't seem stolen, they were surrounded by fruit bearing trees, he probably got it from that. Kurapika slowly bit into the apple and appreciated the juicy flavor. It was fresh and it was probably the last meal they would eat until they reached Ryuuseigai, if ever they had any food. The most she could go on living with only water was a record of twelve days. Part of the hunter exam in the third phase, she had only drank small amounts of water to avoid food poisoning from doctored food down to poisonous plants. The man in front of her could probably starve himself for months without dying out of malnutrition. After eating Kurapika followed Kuroro who started to walk east from where they jumped from.

Kurapika could feel her arms numb from digging up graves earlier, she was tired as well and as much as possible she wanted to conserve energy so she did not argue or comment on anything that irked her. Kuroro remained his quiet self and trudged along the grassy field. They had just come from a forest and Kurapika was slightly worse for wear. The sun started to rise and the air was chilly from the night before. The surrounding plants were all covered with morning due and Kurapika wanted nothing more than to sleep. It wouldn't bother her if they slept outdoors or some other place, all she needed was a night's worth of decent sleep. Her watery eyes looked at Kuroro who was only slightly disheveled from walking nonstop on the woods and now a potato field. He felt her looking at him because he turned to her.

"Do you need to stop?" It was a very considerate question coming from a mass murderer and master thief. Kurapika would have slightly appreciated it, if he asked that hours ago when they were on dry land and not muddling their way towards Ryuuseigai.

"What do you think?" Kurapika sarcastically asked. She stopped walking and placed her hands on her hips, clearly annoyed. Kuroro gave her a once over and noted, she looked very tired. He also noted, she had a slight gash on her cheek. Her eyes were glazed and she had an unsual color compared to her normal hue. She was hit with a poisoned needle or neutralizer earlier when they had met that slight bump on the road, he deduced. The bags beneath her eyes weren't as big and dark as the day before. He should have checked her from the start for any injuries aside from their crash landing. Getting sick was troublesome, and he needed to get to Ryuuseigai by the end of the week. He sighed.

"There's an inn, we could spare some time there." Kurapika looked thankful for the thought of a warm bed. They reached the inn shortly after that. Kurapika plopped down her bed, face first on the bed and fell fast asleep. She did not bother about Kuroro because he got a separate room for himself plus she was getting tired and tired by the minute.

When Kurapika woke up, the sun was already setting and she felt refreshed. Her arms no longer felt so tired and the blisters in her hand were no longer stinging so much. She rubbed the remaining sleep off her eyes and she studied the room before looking for the washroom. Her vision was slightly hazy but so far better than earlier. Her shoes were still neatly placed on the left side of her bed just as she had left them earlier. She went over to them and neatly folded the blanket and fixed the bed. When the bed was fixed to her standards, she walked over to the bathroom bringing her small bag along. She was thankful she had grabbed it when Kuroro dragged her out of the train.

The inn was not yet modernized like the inns in Yorknew City but Kurapika was thankful for the chance to remove all the grime stuck on her body. In the small bathroom mirror, she saw some twigs stuck on her hair. She removed them one by one and combed through her blonde locks. They were all tangled up and Kurapika no longer bothered being gentled with them. She yanked the comb through her hair and at the end of the session there were clumps of her hair on the poor comb. She showered until the water ran clear to the drain. When she stoppped, her skin was already wrinkled from staying so long in the water and slightly red from too much scrubbing. They must be going already. From their short journey Kurapika had realized Kuroro was a complex man who probably was waiting for her to get up, get ready and get going. And Kuroro was not one to waste time dawdling on one place. Kurapika took her time wearing her remaining spare clothes and went out the rented room. Like what she thought, Kuroro was waiting on one of the spare stools reading a book. He had a mug in front of him, but when he noticed she was already up and ready they wordlessly headed out of the inn.

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They reached Ryuuseigai in their designated time frame. Kurapika kept her look in front of her. From her job as a bodyguard of mafia lords, she had found out a great deal about Ryuuseigai. They were people you don't want to make contact with unless you needed to do dirty work. Kurapika felt herself walking with a king when the people parted to let them pass, from the side the grimy children stopped their playing to look at them. They whispered amongst themselves and Kurapika continued to look infront of her.

The road was way dirtier than how she had imagined it to be, the stench was also uncomparable. It smelled like rotten fruit mixed with Leorio's and Tompa's socks added with rat carcass. She could smell every nasty stench out there in the world in one single inhale. She minimized her breathing and tried to breath with her mouth. The moment she saw how plenty the flies were she immediately closed them.

"Do you want to stay here or inside?" They stopped in front of a tattered building and Kurapika stopped her observations to look at Kuroro. She pondered about his question while she looked at the surroundings and at the building Kuroro was supoosed to enter. She couldn't bear to let her say words along the lines of, 'I'm coming with you' or 'Don't leave me behind' like how she would have asked her friends if she was traveling with them rather than with him.

Kuroro must have sensed her hesitation because he took her silence as an affirmative. He walked inside the abandoned building with Kurapika trailing a few feet away from him. Kurapika inspected every crack of the building and she feared for the inhabitants of it. It wouldn't last an earthquake. Even from the inside, the building was infected with rats and garbage. There was no door to speak of so the pests were free to enter and flee the buildings like the humans who lived in it.

They reached the top most habitable part of the building. Kuroro entered a room with a torn shirt as a door. Inside the spacious room were decent wood furniture. Kurapika was surprised that they were able to afford the set while not having sparing any for any type of doors. Kuroro took the only other seat in the room and Kurapika stood near the doorway. She observed the people inside. They were older than Kuroro was and they had an arrogant air around them.

"Who will explain to me what happened with the kidnapping of the Ryuuseigai children?" Kuroro said without any heat in his voice. The men all looked at one person in particular. Tupig grunted in his seat and met his gaze.

"The money you send to us is never enough." Tupig snapped. He stood up from his seat and pounded a fist on his table, "If you send enough jennies then those children whom you never met would have never been sacrificed. Small amount of children compared to the help it would give."

"I didn't ask about the jennies I give. I asked about those children." Kuroro twirled a pen in his hand. "We talked about this. You call Shalnark everytime you need more money. What happened with the children?"

"I am quite surprised to see you here again," Tupig walked towards Kuroro and pointed a finger at him, "With those months that you were gone, your spiders have provided less money than we have ever seen!"

"Nine billion jennies is not a shy sum." Kuroro stopped twirling the pen.

"It was too little. And gone too soon as well!" Tupig yelled at Kuroro.

"But it was enough to keep any children away from being dogs of the Mafia." Kuroro replied coolly.

"They weren't made dogs." Tupig spat, "And Ryuuseigai would have been better if your spiders were never created and we still have the Mafia as our main benefactor!"

Kuroro narrowed his eyes and stood up fron his seat as well. He smiled cruelly at Tupig, " We have given this city more money than it will ever get from the Mafia, we only ask in return not to give anymore children to the Mafia."

"Well, I demand more." Tupig went back to his seat an sat down with an angry huff, "The citizens are multiplying, everyday we have a hundred and fifty new citizens."

"I stand what I told you earlier," Kuroro stood up and genty placed back the seat, " More importantly, I came here to tell you. If anymore citizens have been reported missing and I find them with the Mafia, I know whose door to place the blame. If you need me for anything else, I'll be in my usual place."

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The usual place was an abandoned building, with crates as furniture. Compared to the other buildings, the building was in more sound condition than the rest of them. It was also tidier. The stench was still there only in a lesser volume. Kurapika could breath without having to imagine a filter in her mouth. That or she was getting used to the stench. The building looked like an abandoned church with a mosaic of a man surrounded by what look like his followers. The glass was broken at the side and Kurapika could see the broken shards on the floor.

She walked towards one of the wooden crates and sat down. She was glaring at everything she saw. She had figured out where they were, they were in the first ever base of the Geneiryodan. That put her in a more sour mood than usual.

"I need to go out a bit." Kuroro told her. She did not look at him. "Don't go out until I come back."

As if she had plans to go out in that stench, Kurapika rolled her eyes. Although she was in the most uncomfortable place, her logic knew she was safer inside than outside. Kurapika traveled with Kuroro, one of Ryuuseigai's native but the citizens knew what she was. She was an outsier and no doubt the people where already pricing everything she carried with her. She was in no mood to participate in any fights, especially when her opponents would have no second thoughts killing her. The people who had thinner relationship than strangers but thicker than families, that was how many described the citizens of Ryuuseigai. They might have seen her as a threat.

Kuroro left the church in a blink of an eye. She gave a long suffering sigh and closed her eyes. With Kuroro gone she could think more on ways where she could get a nen exorcist. She could also think of ways to get her chains back. When she gets them back, she could extract her revenge. But, she was getting confused. During the meeting, she had learned a troublesome fact.

Kuroro Lucifer had more compassion for human beings than she gave him credit for. She only thought that his compassion only extended to his group of good for nothing bandits and some to his fellow natives. She never expected that he would take pains to actually implement his decision to protect those children.

It made no sense to her, she thought long and hard about it. When they had rescued the children from the mafia lair, he had no qualms about utting them inside a sack like potatoes, but today he fought for their rights. He even said some things about sending enough to keep them out of the mafia's hands. And in the time that she was binded with them, the earlier's confrontation was one of the rare moments he showed what he thought or felt. His human side.

Kurapika gave a frustrated sigh. She won't humanize her perspective of him. It would degrade the rage inside her, and she needed to keep that rage alive within her. She needed to avenge her clan and get their eyes back. No mater how human he might act now, those little things would never outshadow the lives he mercilessly took. And if he was indeed human, he would have valued another human life.

Kurapika sensed something strong head her way, she activated her zetsu and hid behind the big boxes. The nen did not feel like Kuroro's. In a big place like this she had to be careful. Who knows about the raw talent some natives have. She placed her small bag at one of the empty crates and looked at the entrance. She steadied her breathing and concentrated on all the openening especially the door. From the outside the building would be very dark but from her angle she could see perfectly who would enter the building. The nen started to get stronger and stronger until she could make out the shape of a male being.

She recognized the silhouete as none other than Hisoka's.

Hisoka is looking for him. Kurapika thought. Her muscles were still prepared to attack. She remembered the time when they last fought in the hunter exam, she had no knowledge about nen and she was out of his league. But she had improved in the past years. She could probably take him on at her best. Kurapika strategized. She could have defeated him with her judgement chain. That aside, she still had other abilities that could protect herself and attack. She was capable of fighting him although attacking wrecklessly would be stupid.

She could wait him out, there was still the possibility of him not noticing her. Hisoka looked around. Kurapika wrinkled her nose when she saw Hisoka having that bloodlust look on his face. She wouldn't be able to reason with neared her hiding spot. With each click of Hisoka's heel there were clinking sounds after it, the sound was more pronounced since he was walking in a daze. He walked over a crate and it cracked beneath his boot. Aside from his footsteps, the only thing Kurapika could hear was the pitter patter of the rain. She could not hear her own breathing, in one of her vigorous training she had learned to control it.

"It's empty." Hisoka complained to himself. His mouth was open and Kurapika swore she could see his tounge. Kurapika held her breath.

"An old little bird told me he'd be here." Hisoka whined and started to scout the inside of the roof. "The old bird also told me he had a blonde companion with him."

Hisoka licked his lips and smiled creepily.

He threw cards infused with nen at the crates beside Kurapika. Kurapika could duck any card hurled her way. From the way he threw the card, Kurapika knew he was only throwing cards out of a chance that they'd be somebody in them. She also did not want to risk getting scraped by those cards, she was in ninety-five percent they had his signature Bungee gum on them. Hisoka did not stop though, he continued to throw cards. In front, at his sides at his back. He was in a frenzy. He was destroying all the crates when Hisoka noticed something come out of the crate his card just shattered. A bag. Hisoka's smile widened.

Kurapika held her breath and readied herself when she saw her battered bag on the floor.

The bag had a card on top of it and it tore the sides of her bag. Hisoka licked his lips and pulled her bag forward, some of her things fell out. Kurapika narrowed her eyes, she touched her pocket and felt the metallic texture of her identification cards along with her hunter card. Good thing she placed everything important in her pockets when they started to head to Ryuuseigai.

The only thing on the bag were unimportant things. Hisoka could never identify her with only her clothes. She didn't even have her tribal attire with her because she left them at Greta's loose floor board. If the person wasn't Hisoka, she would have sighed out of relief.

"A woman's clothing." Hisoka mumbled and stuffed back the clothes inside the bag. He looked around the area and smiled at the crates he had not yet destroyed thoroughly. "I think I know where you are!"

Kurpaika ducked just in time when Hisoka finally threw a card in her direction. She looked up and saw the card above her. If she did not have enough reflex, the card would have crushed her throat to bits. She stood up from where she was and saw Hisoka looking at her. By his smile, Kurapika knew he recognized her.

"I didn't see you there, my unripe fruit." Hisoka licked his lips. "Or are you really unripe?"

Kurapika summoned her dowsing chains and deflected the cards. She jumped up the altar and mid-air she ducked more cards. But the cards weren't the real object Hisoka wanted to impale her with. Kurapika thought fast and conjured a small knife to deflect a poisoned pin. It didn't reached her flesh only shorten a few strands of her hair.

"My, my." Hisoka almost sang, "You have improved."

Hisoka charged at her with his full speed, the punch he gave was blocked by her right arm, which broke her elbow at the impact. His nen had gotten stronger. But she was not the type of fighter to lose her calm after discovering her opponent's stronger nen. Kurapika took the chance to hold Hisoka's wrist and pin him behind then kick him at the back. Some bones cracked and Hisoka's hand started to swell at where she touched it. He licked his lips and smiled. " What a lucky day today is. I came for Danchou and I found one of my unripe fruits."

Kurapika conjured a sword in her free hand. Hisoka had gotten stronger not only in nen but in physical strength, she expected it and aside from his new strength, he might have developed new skills. She did not slacken her hold on him and pointed a knife in his neck. " I know who told you where he is."

She had over heard Kuroro and Shalnark talking one afternoon while they were still traveling with the techi spider. Kuroro had been avoiding the spider and described him troublesome. Shalnark could only grin in reply and add how Phinks and Nobunaga wanted to mutilate the clown using his own cards.

"Danchou is an appetizing oppnent... But enough about him... Let's talk about you..." Hisoka kicked her and she stumbled down. She got up fast to move away from him while dodging the sharp objects he threw at her. She was a little too late because when she used gyo, she could see his Bungee Gum attached to her hair where a needle grazed her head.

"You gave me quite the chase when you put that nen blade on Kuroro Lucifer."

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From a far Kuroro could sense two familiar nen.

And before Kuroro entered the building, he saw two sillohuettes moving fast. At a closer look he was able to decipher who was who. He was not at all surprised to see Hisoka fighting against the Kuruta. He had expected Hisoka to find hi sooner or later. Kuroro saw that the Kururta held herself quite well in their fight. Hisoka had tattered clothing along with scrapes on his body. His companion on the otherhand looked no better than him, but considering she was up against the slightly crazy clown she was doing good. Kuroro surveyed the destruction he was sure only Hisoka could make. Kuroro picked up a stray card and flipped it over. It was the joker.

They had last seen each other and had fought only a few months ago. Kuroro knew Hisoka was going to want to have a rematch and he had found out about his current where abouts because of that man Tupig. Even from his younger days, he had never felt any nuetral emotion with Tupig, one of the Ryuuseigai leaders His instinct have always reacted everytime the man was near.

Kuroro threw the card back at the clown who was busy blocking out the chains. The card hit him on the shoulder and it stuck.

Both Hisoka and Kurpaika stopped their death match and turned to him. The Kuruta had her usual annoyed expression at seeing him again, the opposite of Hisoka's. Hisoka looked elated. He took out the protruding card from his back and licked the blood dripping form it.

"This unripe fruit was warm up before fighting you." It always bothered Kuroro how Hisoka would mumble beneath his breath about unripe fruits that refered to fighters with great potential. The expression on Hisoka's face every time the clown gets thrilled was never thrilling for Kuroro. Kuroro knew what Hisoka was about to say. Hisoka licked his lips, "Fight me Danchou."

Kuroro gave him a once over and thought of ways to escape him without having to fight anymore. Hisoka was a hard opponent to shake and he did not feel like fighting anybody. He had many things to do. He looked at his companions who was shooting scowls at him. Kurpaika had outsmarted him once and he had no doubt that she could read what was on his mind. He had only doubts when it came to teamwork with them. He locked his gaze with hers and silently told her to cooperate. Her eyes narrowed when his eyes narrowd as well she gave a grudgingly given affirmitive.

After three seconds both of them went to the nearest exit. With Kurapika, she punched herself an exit and jump out of it. With the unsound architecture of the building, it did not take much of her nen to force down the wall. With Kuroro, he jumped from the window opposite of where Kurapika jumped from and prepared for the fall. Hisoka naturally followed where Kuroro jumped off to.

Kuroro knew the building like the back of his hand. During his jump he activated his gyo, he used his three second advantage to grab the torn moulding and swing himself to the shadows. As expected after six seconds Hisoka whizzed by him. Hisoka made his Bungee Gum trail, Kuroro was careful not to step on it. He scaled the building as fast as he can, although he knew Hisoka would still be looking for him at the ground floor. Kuroro jumped to the hole Kurapika made.

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A/n:

I'm very sorry for the delayed updates. TT_TT I got really sick and had to postpone writing. I tried to write during that time but gaaaah. I puked rainbows. D: Thank you to all those who reviewed! :D:D LunaNymph (thank you for the review! :D:D I shall try to update more frequently :D) Guest 1 (I tried to write their scene but it didn't work out. :'( I will insert them in the coming chapter.:D:D Thank you!), xxruxx (Thank you! :D:D I'm sorry this chappie took longer than expected T_T), MelonBerry (I hink you spelled it right, Thank you!), Smile-Smile-Smile ( Thanks!), alltheoternamesaretaken (Thank you!) , Guest 2 (I'm sorry this took longer than expected, I'll try my best to update more regularly. :D), Mrs. Sparklecakes (I'm sorry it took longer than expected but I'll really try my best to update faster and more regularly! :D:D), azab (Thank you! :D I'll promise to try and update more regularly :D:D) , Guest 3 (Sorry for keeping you so long. :((( I'll try my best to put more regularity on my updates), Titan fandom (Sorry for keeping this longer than expected. :(( I'll try to update regularly.), Guest 4 (I promise I shall update more regularly:D:D:D sorry for taking so long to update this..), HUHUHUHUH (I'm sorry for the long wait, I'll try my best to update regularly.), Guest 5 (I'm sorry for taking so long to update. I shalll try my best to update more:D:D), Nobody Knows (I like Kurapika with long hair too :D:D: during the 2011 remake spider arc and she had longer hair than last time, I squealed with joy :D), Jillia (Hisoka showed up, yey! I hope I didn't make him too creepy, I agree with you he is a handsome sexy psycho magician. :3) During the spider arc, I think he (she) is around 17 (my brain is telling me 15 , but my instincts say its 17 but I'm not sure D':) I'm sure on this one : Kuroro is 26 and Hisoka is 28. :D There is a two year gap between the two. If I'm wrong please correct me. :D:D), BadGirl(I shall watch that korean drama :D:D that line suits them, thank you for sharing!:D I'm still thinking. I shall try to write more Kuroro pov, hihi thanks :D), Guest 6 and KxK (I'll try to update regularly, sorry for taking so long.)

I hope you guys aren't fed up with my irregular updates... :(

Thank you to those who favorited and followed me and this story! I love you guys!


	6. Chapter 6

twisted

What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. TO hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing short of traitorous. It's twisted.

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chapter six

_'Pass it over here!' _

The familiar smell of rotten flesh, sweat and garbage entered his nose, he subconsciously inhaled more and somehow flashes of his past stirred up his memory. Anybody else would have claimed that it smelled of home. But for somebody like him who had no home and doubted he could ever have one, remembered it as something else. For Kuroro Lucifer, it smelled of his childhood, the perfect word to describe the smell. His childhood. The unpleasant smell that lingered in his childhood lungs, sometimes choking him but sometimes providing him comfort. And for a long time, the smell became part of where they were... it ceased to bother him any longer. After the smell, his sensations reminded him of his past. He could even remember the sharp pain of broken shards on the soles of his feet, the pain he was always used to. He remembered how the heat of the sun scorched their skin. The heat of it made him sweat, and as his sweat tickled down his body, he remembered how they entered his scratches and cause this light sting to the wounds.

_'Pass, it here Kuroro!'_ The face looked very familiar, the face he knew just like the back of his own. He looked at the childhood friend he remembered to have had spent his days and nights, hunger and exhaustion, laugh. He could feel something in his chest as he remembered the upward tilt of this person's mouth. Something escaped his lips. he remember lifting something in his arms and prepared his muscles to throw the tape, their improvised toy, to his friend. They had other kids along with them, all of them laughing.

Kuroro Lucifer remembered this memory very well. He remembered it because those days were the only time he felt something other than nothing.

He threw the tape towards his friend, who jumped in the air in an attempt to catch it. Unlike him who had been blessed with coordination, his friend tumbled down and missed to catch the tape. The other children stopped laughing and looked upset when they heard the crashing sound and looked at the crushed tape.

This scenario happened more than necessary, Kuroro's face remianed impassive as he looked on to his younger self narrow his eyes at the much bulkier children, prepared to strike if they tried anything to his friend. His friend got up from the ground very apologetic, his cheeks more grubby than before and sported a pair of bleeding scraped knees. _"Gomen."_

Kuroro turned to the smashed tape, even when he was younger he ha dmore control of his nen than the other children, the faces of his childhood playmates were in scowls and glares they wouldn't have anything descent to play with. A broken glass would leave them with tender hands and the other garbage in the whole Ryuuseigai were in somebody else's territory.

"_It's okay... I was getting tired anyway."_ Kuroro remembered the words he said that day. He even remembered how he gave a small smile to ease his friend's guilt at breaking what little they have. His friend gave a relieved sigh but winced at his knees. All of them had no parents or guardians to tend ot their wounds or even teach them the proper way of cleaning their wounds. His friend did what they were all used to, he squeezed his knees to numb the pain ans spat at it to at least clean them, _"...Are you okay, Menma?"_

Menma gave him a big grin.

He smiled.

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Kurapika and Kuroro rested far from the abandoned church in a desolate forest. The Kuruta had healed herself by the time he had jumped down from the window. He used his gyo to see any Bungee gum from them. Like Machi who used her nen strings to trace any object, Hisoka had smilar nen power. Except his Bungee Gum could pull them towards him any time he fancied. Kuroro perched himself on top of a strong tree branch and on another tree far away from him but still in his line of vision, Kurapika bundled herself up in a blanket on the roots of a tree.

Kuroro was nobody's fool.

The first time Hisoka had his chance to fight him, after Uvogin's death and question who was stupid but strong enough to try and kill them, his spiders where in a disarray. The whole ordeal was choreographed by only one person, from Shalnark's research the Kuruta had only learned nen a little over half a year when she had assasinated Uvogin. She had outsmarted them with a fifteen minute improvised plan. She was good in strategizing and she had strong will to do it. They all fell into her plan and after being stripped off his nen, Hisoka challenged him to a fight. Kurapika played a very big part in arranging the event and had outsmarted Hisoka as well. By the time he realized the traitor mong their midst, it was too late. Kuroro felt his wariness creep up to him, Hisoka and Kurapika might have made another arrangement.

Hisoka knew who exorcised him. The man was responsible for finding one for him, and if Kurapika finds out that Abenaga is in her near in the Kuruta's reach it would boost her confidence in plotting to kill them. But in his observations, the girl had acted the same. His assessment might be wrong, Hisoka might not even know he had placed anything on the girl but Hisoka would never pass up an pportunity to fight with him while the Kuruta would never pass up her opporunity to have her revenge. He sighed, "What a drag..."

His thoughts drifted back to his dream, it had been a long time since he had one and even longer since he his friend had been part of it. Like his other dreams, his dreams were about a distant memory. It felt like multiple lifetimes ago, when he had been younger and less apathetic with the world around him. His instincts sharpened when he felt three faint nen signatures head there way. He sighed. Not another bounty hunter...

It couldn't be Hisoka who was a few miles away, Kuroro was more at peace with the idea of killing three people without thinking about wasted talent and use. Although Hisoka was a borderline creep, the man had his uses. The three signatures were not in Hisoka's caliber, he wouldn't consider it as a waste.

Kuroro readied his pens in his right hand. Out of the three, he labeled two of them as strong and the other as mediocre. Their zetsu was perfect, if Kuroro's instincts were not that defined he would have never sensed their presence.

He threw his pen at the first intruder before the newcomer could even step inside the ten meter mental territory Kuroro made, the boy was light in his steps and avoided the projectile just before it hit his forehead. Kuroro jumped to another branch and avoided a string of electricity. _A transmitter._ It fizzled the air and scorched the tree. Mid-air, Kuroro blocked multiple punches with his right hand and swung a kick at the other assaulter.

From his kick, Kuroro guessed that those who were assaulting him were teenagers. Their ribs were smaller than an adults but bigger than child. Kuroro estimated a boy aged fourteen to fifteen. The boy tried not to flinch with the pain as he tumbled down a tree trunk from his kick. Kuroro somehow felt he knew those boys. The boys were better than the average.

They did not disappoint him when they barely gave him enough time to land before Kuroro had to block non-stop kicks and punches simultaneously. He read what the boys were up to, they were preventing him from using his nen.

Kuroro could manifest his bandit's book mid-air. But he decided against it. He felt it as part of their plan and he never played into an enemy's trap. He was able to read their plan While the other attacked, the other would grab his book from his hand. On any fight, they were way out of his league. He could kill them easily with one hand behind his back. But to give them due credit, they would definitely put up a good fight.

Kuroro grabbed the boy who controlled electricty by his wrist in an attempt to crush his hand. The boy seized his chance and electrified Kuroro's whole body.

"Now GON!" They took the opportunity to take advantage of the three second paralysis Kuroro felt from getting a full body electrocution. The boy named Gon delivered clean punches in his jaw and delivered a kick to his stomach. From the pain he felt, the boy was an enhancer, unluckily for him, Kuroro knew one weakness of enhancers. Kuroro grabbed the boy's leg before he could pull it off of him and threw the boy at his friend, everything happened in less than three seconds that Gon was not able to shift himself into zetsu mode, the other boy was not able to duck in time to avoid his friend. Gon's nen covered body hit Killua who was open to attack because Killua was so hung up in trying to tie Kuroro with his yoyo. But Killua had a very hard time, because Killua's toys were avoided easily. He was not able to dodge the fast retaliation because he had depended on their teamwork and had not expected his partner to be hurled in his direction.

Gon was knocked out cold and Killua was left alone to fight Kuroro Lucifer.

Killua remembered his father's warnings against the spiders and to avoid them at all cost. Killua spat out some blood, something hard loosened itself from his mouth. He pushed it with his tounge and spat it out. Just as he thought, it was his tooth, coated with blood and saliva. He wiped his mouth with the back of his long sleeves. Loosing his tooth did not hurt, but the thought of walking around with a gap in his mouth did not sound so appealing, not to mention, it might affect his bite when it came to chocolate. Killua touched his now empty gum with his tongue and was calmed down with the fact it was his left third molar and not his incisor.

Kuroro was impressed. Even with a crushed wrist the boy was still able to wield a yoyo. He knew that 50 kilogram yoyo set. He stole the whole manufactured product a few years ago and admired it. He got bored with the trinket fast enough to forget about it until he saw the prized yoyo again in the boy's use. The boy tried another wave of his yoyo attack, this time Kuroro grabbed the toy mid-air and pulled the boy towards him. He felt another wave of electricity flow from the toy, but Kuroro did not let his grip go. Another yoyo flew past him in the direction of his face, Kuroro dropped the first yoyo and let it squeeze his right arm. With both his hands free, he was able to grab the other yoyo with his broken arm. The white haired boy left an area open, Kuroro smirked. He never fell in any fake openings. The boy wanted him to think he had a chance to hit him on his undefended side. Kuroro grabbed the boy's head and smashed it at the ground. The boy had no time to react.

Kuroro was even more impressed to find that the boy was still breathing. The boy was well practiced with protecting certain body parts with nen. The boys were finally knocked out cold.

His bandit's book materialized in his hand and flipped itself over to the page he wanted, Viking Rope. An ability he stole before he turned twenty. The face of its previous owner was grinning from the picture, the girl never expected for her prized ability to vanish into thin air. In his left hand, a thorn-ed rope materialized in his hand. It had been a long time since he had used this ability, either he killed his opponents and he never really had the need o keep people alive. He wrapped the boys easily in it before they had time to get up and get back to their offensive position.

Just as he had suspected, the Kuruta was gone from beneath the tree. Their third member, the friend Nobunaga shredded, whisked away the girl while he was busy accommodating the children. But that shredded mince meat won't have much to live long. The judgement chain he placed would instantly kill them if they really tried what he thought they were doing.

He looked at the boys, impassive to the inner strength they were showing. Their fight should have left them out cold for at least a week. Especially with the white haired kid. But here they were, already opening their eyes to glare at him.

The boys he had tied up both sported a swollen eye. But the black haired kid had it worse, his left eye was totally shut but that did not stop him from having a very determined look on his face. Kuroro faced the other boy, the one who controlled electricity. The boy looked very young and very familiar. Kuroro studied his white hair and glaring blue eyes. Recognition was not illusive and it reached him faster than he could blink.

'Ah, a Zoldyck'. That explained why the boy and the yoyo set looked familiar. If he remembered correctly, Illumi bought a couple of set from him to give to his siblings. The gift was not from brotherly concern and thought but from killer intent. And only Illumi would give his younger siblings, impossible toys to play with. Kuroro had no family, but he knew a 50 kilogram yoyo set did not really count as kid-friendly. Kuroro studied the boy, although he looked nothing like Illumi with only their pale skin as their physical similarity, Kuroro could sense the blood lust of their profession reek from the boy in front of him. It was faint and incredibly low compared to Illumi's but it was there nonetheless. From what he'd learned from his 'friend' assassin the boy had retired from the family business.

Illumi had once said in passing, the middle child of their family would take over the family business and not him. It concerned something about abilities and high potential rating. Kuroro understood the potential, he sensed it the from the first time the kid dodged his pen. This was the pride of the Zoldyck family, Kuroro could see Silva Zoldyck in the boy. They had the same hair and eyes but more importantly Kuroro could sense the same energy flow in their system.

It would be very easy to kill him as a strong strike back at Silva Zoldyck. The young Zoldyck glared more at him, he had sensed what he thought of doing. Kuroro smiled. A killer, whether retired, or in practice would always know the faint aura that erupts from a person ready to strike and kill. The boy's look dared him to do so.

He was tempted, very much tempted.

But he thought against killing the boy. It would cause more complications... besides the person who have had his spider killed have already paid with his life... in a fashion ten times more brutal. Take nothing from us. We reject no one. Yes, Ryuuseigi's motto. Kuroro exhaled. And it might cause a problem inside the spider, with Kalluto being his brother and with their outside affiliations. Illumi would never accept another ssasination job from him if he did that.

"Where are they?" Kuroro asked the now consious children. The Zoldyck did not reply and huffed his face away, looking bitter and sour that only children could do. Weeks with the girl have already tired him with huffs, glares and snubbery. His patience was beyond stretched. He'd rather deal with the other boy, who he remembered have questioned him about his apathetic nature towards death. He raised his brow at the boy called Gon, he was sure the boy would answer him. Unlike his friend, who prefered to snub him, Gon looked like a dog baring his teeth and easily provoked with people did not like.

Kuroro knew he was top of the list.

And he knew what buttons to push when it came to pushing people past their limits. Before he could say anything though, the boy started ordeing him around.

"Let Kurapika go. I think you've caused our friend enough problems already." Gon gave him a determined face. He would gladly have another beating if it would make Kurapika free. Kuroro gave a wry smile. One thing he never like about children where their innocent nature and naitivity. Sometimes he was fascinated by it, but more usual he disliked it. There brash nature was never good in business and their lack of discipline sometimes made him cringe. Children tend to pretend everything would go fine in the end and if you worked hard for anything you would get it in the end. "you can do anything to us but right now they are-"

"OI, Gon!" The Zoldyck hissed.

"What, Killua?!" Gon was upset Killua had interrupted him in the middle of his sentence. Killua gestured for him to shut up. Kuroro sighed, they won't tell him where the other two went. While they bickered amongst themselves, Kuroro gave them both a clean chop. He used more nen than usual to make sure it would knock them both out. Even with his nen enforced chop, the boys where able to struggle with their conciousness before giving out to the darkness and sleep.

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Leorio and Kurapika where having a hard time breathing. They were sweating even though they did not run too far and too fast from where Kuroro was. Her heart rate was slowing and Leorio looked like he was going to have a cardiac arrest. But Kurapika had a terrible hunch it was from something else.

"We are asking to be killed." Kurapika muttered darkly. She sat at a rock, glaring daggers at Leorio. "You even got Gon and Killua in it! We need to get back, he'll kill them."

"They can handle themselves.. It's all part of our plan. Give them a little credit, Kurpaika." Leorio sat down in another rock nearer to the river. "They wanted to help us out anyway."

Kurapika wanted to give him a long torough lecture from what could happen, but her energy was running very low to allow her to do anything than change her facial expressions.

"Besides... I have more important news to tell you. " Leorio pushed his glasses up his forehead with his pointing finger before giving Kurapika a thumbs up and grinned widely. "We did it!"

"...What?"

" The three of us were able to find a list of nen exorcists!" Kurapika's eyes widened in the news. She did not have enough time to look for anybody without attracting the attention of Kuroro. Upon looking at Kurapika's amazed face, he bubbled on. "Gon and Killua actually met one. His name is Abenaga. But they didn't know he was an exorcist when they met each other... They tried to look for him but well you know... it's hard..."

"Abenaga.." Kurpika savored the words in her mouth. Leorio handed her a small note with his scribbled handwriting on it. She read the names in her mind. Abenaga was written on the top followed by Deni and Orbit. But the name Abenaga had a ring to it tht it stuck on Kurapik's mouth. She had a hunch with the name.

The information must have cost them a lot, even with their hunter license the hunter website costs a lot for information. She burned the paper on her mind. When she was done and confident she had every detail memorized she tore the paper to bits and let Leorio litght it with fire. By the time the embers died down, they were panting, Leorio untied his tie and loosened a few buttons from his shirt. Kurpika tried to ignore him, out of propieties sake but she understood he needed to breath. "I think we need to get back. We are violating that bastard's conditions."

"We are..." Leorio agreed with her. Leorio's breath was unsteady and he when he walked, it was crooked. Kurapika took Leorio's arm and placed it on her shoulder. Leorio's condition was worse than hers. In the close contact of their faces, Kurpaika could see the small facial scars Leorio now sported. She frowned. Nobunga had really diced him up.

" He hasn't come after us yet. Gon and Killua must have really kept him busy." Leorio muttered. Kurapika swallowed her fear. That man knew no boundaries when it came to killing. He wouldn't even bat an eyelash in murdering an infant, how much more two teenagers who had the guts to attack him? "They want to help you so much. So keep us on your tabs when you get in trouble or need anything, alright?"

Kurapika did not reply, but instead walked back from where she was whisked off. Everytime they got closer to Kuroro, their breathing started to relax to the point that Leorio was able to walk on his own. Kurapika did not allow Leorio to walk ahead to her, if ever they needed to deflect any projectile thrown their way her dowsing chain could stop it. Kuroro's favortie projectile were harmless looking pens whom have taken enough lives and decapitated enough people to be called harmless. Leorio followed closely behind her, his pen knife was in his hand. Out of the four of them, Leorio had the weakest nen. He still struggled with his hatsu. Kurapika and Senritsu had discussed Leorio's nen once. The medical student might be having a hard time because of reservations in killing lives. He was studying to be a doctor after all, Senritsu was happy to hear Leorio was not in the line of work where he would throw away his life in a job.

_'A waste of a beautiful melody, he would achieve more as a doctor'_, Senritsu smiled, relieved Leorio would be taking different path from them. Kurpaika could not fault him for having little developed Hatsu. Besides, Leorio had bben able to make up his lack of ability with his honest ambition.

Kurapika and Leorio's breathing finally returned to normal the same time they got back. The first thing they saw were Gon and Killua wrapped up in a weird looking rope. The two boys were bleeding bad and they were both bruised. But Leorio and Kurapika were relieved to see them alive and barely consious.

Now that she knew her friends were alive, Kurapika started to think more clearly and analyze the situation. Just as she had suspected, their breathing was affected when they had violated the conditions Kuroro made.

Kurapika thought about it, she could use her judgement chain because of her scarlet eyes, her Emeperor Time. It was impossible for Kuroro to wield her chains in the first place, but somehow he had. He definitely have aquired an ability over time that allowed him to wield her chains or to wield stolen nen who were picky and needy conidtions to be met... But because her judgement chain was made out of her own nen enhanced by her eyes, whatever ability Kuroro had could not compare and he could never wield her judgement chain properly, the same would probably go for her chain jail. So instead of instantly killing them, the chain would only constrict their heart slowly. Giving them more time to live. And now that they have returned, the chain have already stopped squeezing their hearts. Kurapika's mind whirled with theories. They were all possible and if she guessed right, she had increased their winning chance against Kuroro.

That was what Kurapika thought and judging by the way Kuroro was looking intently at her, he was thinking the same way too. An important finding against Kuroro Lucifer. He can use her chains but not as effective as she can. She smiled. Kuroro smiled too and that smile unnerved Kurapika. He knew he was playing mind games with her and Kurpaika planned never to lose.

Leorio had tried everything in his power to free the children from the rope. But it was prickly and it tightened everytime he tried to pry it away from Gon and Killua. His pen knife had been bent at an uncomfortable angle to the point where he needed to purchase a new one once he had the chance. His hands were scraped from the thorns. The boys had regained their full conciousness. Gon had tried to break it, but the rope stretched with his movements, it was elastic. Killua asked permission from Gon whether he could use his electricity, Gon, knowing it would sting 'a little' from Killua's explanation had agreed to let his friend electricute the rope. Killua charged his electricity and appplied it to the rope while being careful not to over do it and fry Gon to crisp. The rope did not budge even a single inch.

Both boys tried everything until Gon huffed from exhaustion, trying his rock, paper, scissors skill one last time. Killua looked a bit toasted from Gon's powerful struggle while Gon looked worse for wear with Killua's electricity. He had endured a lot but he was still not as used to getting his flesh electricuted.

This is take a long, long time.

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A/N. An inappropriate way to end things, I'm sorry. but I want to update within a week from the last chapter (I'm a day late :( but next time I shall update on the dot :D:D) so I thought this needed to get out now, it lacks a scene and this is the shortest chapter so far. Not much Kuro/Kura action but this is a form of transition chapter. :D:D Gon, killua and Leorio finally makes an appearance! :D I hope its not rushed or anything. This chapter is edited. on 10.29.13 :D

Notes:

I can't think up a better name for Kuroro's childhood friend, so Menma (From Road to Ninja) popped up. Hihi. If somebody could suggest a better name, I shall change this. I originally wanted to name him Steak, but my friend said... 'No..., just no... =_=" so Steak became Menma. :D Hihi. I base my original characters on food. (I love eating. :D) Haha

Big thanks on those who reviewed, favorited and followed this story! :D

kuroneko nnch (Thank you! :D Take care always aswell :D:D), LunaNymph ( Thank you so much! :D Flashbacks about Kuroro are going to come soon :D) Nobody knows (Hihi, thank you! :D I tried to make up the fighting scene with Hisoka and Kuroro but I somehow messed it up, hihi, so a fight between Kuroro and Gon Killua tandem happens instead. :D ) xxruuxx (Thank you for reading! :D I'll try to make next the next chappie longer :D), alltheothernamesaretaken, BabyBOOOOM , Smile-Smile-Smile , I'oOoMoOo , hitomi65, 7LightWings7 , MelonBerry


	7. Chapter 7

Twisted

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What happened was only between the two of them, yet fate had different plans. To hate the monster that killed her whole family was the acceptable thing. But to undeniably fall for him was nothing sort of traitorous. It's twisted. / / Chain Pair / / Fem!KuraxKuro/ / .

chapter seven

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"I'm surprised you came back." Kurapika noted he said it with genuine surprise. Meeting her friends was a big surprise to her as well, they did well in occupying his time until she and Leorio had enough time to talk. And her surprise extended to them still being alive.

"I'm surprised I'm not here to bury any more carcass." The words were almost hissed out of her mouth. She had started to see Kuroro in a slightly different light after listening in the Ryuuseigai leaders, she was thankful for her friends dropping in on her. Because of what she saw, her altered version of Kuroro shattered just like an imagination. A wolf would always be a wolf... or in this case, a spider would always be a spider.

"We should head out now. I don't think you'd be able to sleep anymore. " Kuroro said wryly as he tilted his head to her friend's direction. Kurapika had not said anything to Gon and Killua yet and she felt horrble leaving them without even a thank you for the trouble they have taken up on themselves. She frowned.

"Not before you let them go first." She huffed. Whatever rope he used did not look comfortable and she saw Leorio's pen knife become blunt by just touching the thing.

"I refuse." They were going to have another intellectually drawn argument Kuroro wanted to avert. Their arguments were never productive, instead it would leave them both irritated and tired. Kuroro's bandit's book was not going anywhere yet. And he was more than willing to let it stay open until they have gained enough grounds from the trio.

Kurapika narrowed her eyes into slits, "I already told you, didn't I? I'm not going to escape and I've already proven it."

Kuroro had many doubts when it came to her relationship with his spiders, but he won't dwell on it. It was nothing time can't cure anyway. What he wanted to avoid, on the otherhand, were her friends' persistance at following them to were they were going next. He used gyo and looked at Kurapika. He noted she did not have any tracking device attached on her body. It was a good sign that they were not yet that prepared to follow her to wherever they where going.

The third member tugged at the rope and huffed from the effort. Kuroro smirked, sometimes it amused him to look at people give futile efforts to achieve something so far out of reach.

One end of his conjured rope danced its way towards Leorio, Leorio tried to avoid it but it snatched him out of his way and bundled him along with Gon and Killua. Leorio started to protest more and more.

Kurapika looked indignant as she saw her friends all bundled up. Her brains raked itself for any other possibilities. But her adrenaline had started to die down and her mind felt exhausted from processing her theories. She knew one thing though: even with the four of them combined, Kuroro out-powered them by leagues.

She only saw a handful of abilities from him and from the thickness of the book in his hand, Kurapika was at a disadvantage. Those book might be filled up back to back with many unknown strong abilities and the book was about three centimeters thick.

"Yes, I have seen your" _not loyalty_, what she did was not loyalty, but from pride that she gave her word. "resolution. But what about them? Give me a reason not to kill them."

He wasn't really going to kill them. It would waste his efforts of holding back when they were fighting, but it was fun taunting the easily provoked girl. The way her eyes narrowed positively confirmed that he hit a nerve

"You wouldn't dare." She called off his bluff. "they won't follow us, if that's what you've been thinking."

"We take them with us until we have reached a place safe enough to deposit them." Kuroro compromised, the four friends all threw glares at him. They tried to get up but couldn't, not with the rope still wrapped around them, Kurapika looked expectantly at him, "But the rope stays on."

_I don't trust you_

Was the unspoken message but they heard it loud and clear.

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They reached a riverbank near a remote town. They passed some natives in the area who directed them to a river. The native also said another shortcut to the neighboring area was through a ratty old bridge. The native advised against it, as the area was infested with thieves and some people who were brave and _foolish_ enough to go and venture were never heard off again, and the bridge itself was not stable. Leorio snickered when the native said 'thieves', the man surely did not know who he was talking to. The native pointed at the direction where the bridge was and another round of lecture about why not to take it. Kuroro took the group the opposite side of it.

Kuroro made his three captives sit down the grassy part of the land. He had finally released the group from his nen. Leorio, who wanted to punch him, was not able to move anymore. His Viking Rope had an special ability, the thorns of the rope serve as an absorber. Every time nen aura its captive release, the rope would abrsorb it and give to him. Another ability he liked about the rope, is its lasting effect even until he had called it off. The whole time a person becomes the ropes' captive, would be the same amount of time the captive would be paralyzed. He was not at all shocked to see the three of them peacefully sitting down except for the hostile expressions on their faces.

They did not dwell anymore on the area. He and Kurapika made their way east from the place, the children, especifically the child named Gon, continued to shout good-byes at his friend along with well-wishes until they reached the more condensed part of the forest. Kuroro walked forward until they reached the old ratty bridge the native talked about. In local language, the bridge had a sign at its side made in a quick hurry that said in bold red prints, BEWARE.

The bridge did not look like it would last long. It could only handle one of them at a time, he concluded. And it was obviously due for a maintanance.

"Do you want to go first?" His extended his hand towards the bridge, like how a gentleman would when showing a lady a marvelous place. Kurapika ignored his mockery and proceeded without saying anything.

The bridge creaked everytime Kurapika took another step. Her body was not at all relaxed. He had expected her to go in a breeze.

Kuroro could see the girl's muscles tense in anxiety. Kuroro regretted his decision of not going first. Obviously, the girl was talented but she lacked experience in life and death situation of all kinds. He remembered Shalnark explain from his research that the Kuruta had passed the hunter exam in her first try, like how Shal did. Shalnark had been impressed and without being asked he had also shared varieties of the exam's phases he had experienced. From Shal's description of the exam, it tackled the daily lives of hunters. If she had passed the exam then she would not have such a hard time in crossing a simple bridge. Kuroro analyzed the area, underneath the bridge were pikes, poisoned from the looks of it. She might be very well trained in using nen, but in some cases nen did not help that much at all. The tension in the girl's muscle did not lessen, Kuroro realized she might have had some unpleasant memories with bridges or some other thing related to their current predicament.

Both Kuroro and Kurapika stiffened when they heard a slight tingle of a snapping rope. Kurapika stopped in her tracks. The situation did not better itself, that in Kurapika's unmoving foot, the wood gave way and her foot was stuck in a plank.

Kuroro let out a curse. The bridge was going to give way soon. Even with a non-caring, hard to get along member, as a head he had responsibilities to her as they had to the spider, It did not help that the Kuruta was already half-way through the bridge. Running forwards or back again would be useless. Kuroro estimated the bridge would have collapsed even before she could pull her stuck foot out.

They heard multiple snaps of rope and screeches of wood.

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Kurapika never liked cliffs.

It reminded her the time when she and Pairo had been adventuring. She fell down on one when she wanted to get a rare flower that only grew on that area of her small hometown to give to her ill mother. She had been careless but luckily Pairo had been there. But she had no Pairo patiently waiting for her or act as her savior if she ever she needed one. The only time she had been in a cliff was in the hunter exam, she had her friends with her. That had help her boost her morale.

She moved slowly and surely towards the other end, careful not to step on any depressed plank. She was not scared of heights or the cliff. It simply reminded her of unpleasant memories and she did not like it. It made her feel vulnerable.

Kurapika wanted to use her dowsing chain the moment she heard the first rope snap. She stopped in her tracks and gave a sharp inhale. She did not move her body anymore, any added action would add more force to her body and the gravitational pull would have its way with her. As she looked down, she saw glinting pikes, instead of the usual river beneath the bridge. The native said something about this side being infested by thieves. Those pikes might be a product of their nen. Kurpaika was snapped out of her daze when she heard a soft creak from the wood when a slightly trong wind slapped it. Using her dowsing chain would add more weight to her body, sadly her expected movement when she would hurl her chain would make the bridge snap.

She cursed when the plank she was standing on surrendered to her weight. Her right foot was stuck. Before she could anchor her chain on land, the ropes gave way and she closed her eyes expecting to feel sharp objects impale her body.

For the first time in a long time, Kurapika gave in to her emotions and screamed.

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Kuroro moved fast. He focused his nen on his feet and in a blink of an eye, he was able to hold the girl with his right hand while his left hand held on to one of the sturdy ropes. He would have had time to move them both to safer land if he did not have to remove the girl's stuck foot. The girl was lighter than what he originally thought. He might have heard her scream, but he was too focused on holding on to some rope.

The girl was shaking lightly from thinking she was going to fall. She calmed down after a few breaths. If he moved faster than a second he would have gripped enough rope to accommodate both of them. He looked at the girl to see how she was faring only to see her looking murdurously at him. He arched a brow in question. He did not want a thanks or appreciation to what he did, what simply baffled him was her expression. She did not look startled from what happened, instead she had her normal scowl greeting him. Even with her black contact lenses, he could see faint red in them. She must be thouroughly emotional for her eyes to burn brighter than black.

She understood why he raised a brow at her and she had no second thoughts pointing out why.

"Your. Hand." Kuroro traced his eyes from the girls face towards the said hand. And he realized why the girl was feeling murderous. His arm was wrapped on her back acting as support for her body and his hand, sadly for her, ended up on her right chest. He smirked.

"I can't let you go just to fix it, can I?" Kurapika reddened. It was true. There situation permitted no modesty, if she wanted him to fix his hand, he would have to release her and that would be the end of her life. She didn't mind dying, but dying because of a bridge was distasteful and she figure's she'd take somebody with her from the spiders. She was starting to slip and Kuroro girpped her body tighter. She was pressed more into him and this time she kept her mouth shut. If she would protest against it, he would have another come back pointing out another obvious answer. Her mouth was in a grim line. She wanted to do numerous things to the arm that was currently 'holding' her up. Both of them were silent and thinking of ways to get out of their situation.

"I can use my dowsing chain to hit on something and pull us up." Kurapika thought out loud. It pained her to say it but her survival depended on their teamwork. So for now, just now. She was willing to give a ceasefire. Kuroro looked like he accepted her silent white flag and contemplated what she said. He moved a bit and looked above. The rope made an uncomfortable sound and Kurapika swallowed a curse.

"This rope won't be able to handle your movements." Kuroro had already imagined everything in his mind along with the necessary calculations and figures. He discussed it with the Kuruta and asked whether she could fling her chain only using half of the usual force needed but still arrive at the same point and outcome. Kurapika frowned and he knew her answer.

_Using her chains was out of the question._

He was thinking about using nen on their feet and try to scale the wall, but it too was out of the question. The cliff had no rocks or roots that would help them climb over. At best they could only rely on their nen. His bandits book was out of the question, not unless he drop the girl (which would be contradictory to why he helped her in the first place) or let go of the rope. Their fall would only take less than 7 seconds and sadly not enough to conjure and summon another rope ability on his nen book.

Kuroro felt the girl in his arm move, she kicked and twitched until her arms were able to grab his neck. He released the girl but had to hold her again when she almost lost her balance and fall. He looked at the girl to know what all the fuss was about and found himself staring eye to eye with the girl. The girl quickly averted her eyes and snapped at him.

She said something insulting but he was not able to catch whatever she said. They were hanging awkwardly, but Kurapika prefered this position more than the previous one. His hand was now wrapped around her waist while her arms were on his neck. She was blushing from the humiliation of it all. When she wanted to hoist herself up and grab at least half meter of rope she was disappointed to find out Kuroro was only able to grab enough rope for one person.

Not wanting to fall, she grabbed on to the nearest thing: his neck, for support.

From the friction of her own movements, two of her top buttons loosened itself and she saw her miserable spider tattoo glaring back at her. It was salt and vinegar to her wounds. Her emotions started to sour when she stopped herself and thought it would be better to be angry later, when their lives where more secure. Although she was clinging on his neck (literally), she was able to move her body slightly away from him, to make as less contact as possible. With her mind more comfortable, she was able to formulate some ideas.

Kuroro was more at ease with their position as well, he could sense the girl avoid his touch. But it was better because his right hand could now summon his nen book and not worry about toppling the girl over. They had less than four minutes to put up and execute an idea. The girl started to move again, "Stop moving."

The girl did not say anything back to him but he felt her roll her eyes in annoyance. She twisted her head and stared at a big root poking out from the cliff. The root was ten meters away from them.

"If you can get us nearer, I can use my chain to grab on to that." Kurapika would have loved to do it herself, but with the man the one holding on to the rope, it would be impossible to sway her body along with his. Kuroro eyed the root and sighed.

"Even if you grab hold unto that, our combined mass along with the combined force of our movements would make that root snap like a twig." Instead of getting angry at criticizing her idea like Kuroro thought Kurapika closed her eyes and visualized it. Kuroro was right, she admitted herself. She also had grudging respect for him to be able to come up with any comments on her plan after listening to it once. In her previous group assignments, she had to repeat herself several times before her teammates could process and ask a question.

"We have less than a minute to think of any other plans." She told him bitterly. If he was alone, he would have been able to reach the top already in the first moments they were dangling like grapes on its vine, the same goes for her. If she was alone, she would already be safe and sound.

"We follow your plan with a slight improvement." Kuroro finally thought of an idea with them having both their bodies intact. Kuroro would swing them to their right were the root was. Then at the fourth swing, the exact amount of swings that the rope could handle and the exact number of swings that would be able to get them closest to the root, he would let go of the rope and conjure a hardening ability that would strengthen that root for Kurapika to hold unto. The plan needed her to trust him and shoot her chain only after he had given the go signal. Kuroro told the girl of his plan, she didn't say anymore than a simple 'fine.'

Kuroro started swinging. The movement made Kurapika slightly naesous and gripped her companion tight. Kuroro did not react and passed up the opportunity of a perfect taunt.

_One_

They heard the the rope start to snap. At crucial moments in life to death situations, you hear the tiniest bit of sounds. Like Death wants you to memorize the last of your mortal life. Kurapika did not close her eyes even for a moment. The ripping of ropes, the beating of her heart, her sweat running down her back and her stilled breathing, she heard it all.

_Two_

Kurapika let Kuroro do all the movements. She relaxed her body against his and materialized her chain. They were getting nearer to the branch. Thinking about it, Kuroro could have left her on her own devices and stayed safe on the land. He could even taunt her for not thinking fast enough and she couldn't contradict it because it was true.

_Three_

They heard the ugly sound of wood breaking against the pikes. What remained of the ratty bridge could not hold their movement. Kuroro's prediction was right. On their fourth swing, they would have their one and only chance. Her dowsing chain was already in front of her.

_Four_

Kuroro released the rope and after two seconds he fired his nen at the root, Kurapika got her cue and whirled her chain at the root. The root was sturdy, it was able to withstand their weight and forces and whatever physics computation Kuroro told her earlier... and more importantly, it did not snap. Kurapika felt her mouth open and let out a sigh of relief.

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With his longer limbs, Kuroro was able to reach the top of the cliff first. His breathing was ragged and it took him a few seconds to catch his breath. Before he could relax and after three short breaths, he grabbed the Kuruta's arm, lifted her up from the edge and brought her down the land next to him. Kuroro was not really a physically strong fighter, he used his brains and abilities rather than his strength. For a moment, he was the only support of the girl for not falling, it tired him a bit.

When the girl was safely far from the edge of the cliff, it was only then that he dropped his head back and lied down on the ground. He closed his eyes and after a few short seconds, his body was back to normal.

The plan went smoothly, he had the Kuruta's cooperation to thank for. He had imagined she would protest at the improvision of her idea. He looked at the girl, she looked like she wanted to lie down to the ground next to him from exhaustion. Their silent ceasefire must have only included until they were safe from the fear of falling because right now, she crawled away from him and relaxed herself on a tree trunk. Not that far but not that near as well considering the usual distance she permitted their contact.

Kurapika did not expect for him to weigh too much. Hoisting him up the branch without the use of her scarlet eyes had been a terrible miscalculation on her part. She had used her eyes after noticing his weight and that had helped a lot. It would have made her life easier though if she used her enhanced strength at the start.

She gasped mouth-fulls of air, her breathing was not yet regular compared to her companion who seemed to have recovered after a minute. He was still sprawled on the ground, she did not notice when he removed the bandaged wrapped around his forehead. The cross was very visible and Kurapika stared at it.

Kuroro felt her stare and wondered why she was not glaring. He touched his forehead gingerly and found nothing wrong wih it. He looked at her and shrugged. He removed his left hand from his head and laid it at his side again. He would give her ten minutes to compose herself before they need to go again.

Kurapika saw the redness of his left hand, even if he hadn't realized the pain yet. From where he'd touched his forehead there were streaks of red.

Kurapika narrowed her eyes when she saw it. This time, not from irritation but from an explained emotion. His left hand looked raw and the flesh was protesting badly. The way he had carelessly sprawled it to the ground made it worse. Stray sand and dried grass contacted the rope burn. Kurapika bit the insides of her mouth to prevent herself from saying anything. She closed her eyes and composed herself.

Compared to the hundreds of lives he took and destroyed, a single wound that didn't even seem to bother him was no reason to get worked up.

She visualized somebody else in his position and wondered if she would offer her help. If it was any of her friends, she would do so without even being asked. She wondered why then that part of her humanitarian side wanted to at least show a small side of gratitude while another side of her asked her in a criticizing tone why she even thought of helping somebody she would kill in the future.

Helping her had been a small bump in the road of her revenge.

He indeed helped her when she fell of the cliff, an immature side of her reasoned that it was because of Kuroro who dragged her into the entire mess why she had been almost killed anyway... Her reason was quick to follow and explain that the man helped her out. For whatever reason, he still offered his help without being told by anybody to do so. Kurapika sighed. Thinking about it, freeing her foot while trying to anchor her chain to anything close nearby would be like reviving the dead: impossible.

She refused to acknowledge the term 'save', Kuroro did not do everything on his own. They did everything with a fifty, fifty work load. So _help_, yes. Kuroro Lucifer _helped_ her from falling down.

She made up her mind and summoned her chain quickly before changing it again.

The chain hissed its way towards Kuroro's injured hand, from his well developed instinct, Kuroro avoided it. But the chain persisted and wrapped itself around his hand. He questioned a brow at the girl, the chain was healing him just at the right time when he started to feel the burn.

"This..this.. this..is.. Thanks ….for helping me." The last part was mumbled but with their keen hearing, Kuroro caught it. He didn't know why she would bother healing him, he didn't feel the pain, just its uncomfortable sensation. And he didn't get the logic behind it, after all she had made itself clear that she would kill him someday and satisfy her clan with his blood. When the chain had done its purpose, it dematerialized, his skin was back to its pale complexion.

When he looked at the girl, he saw her asleep.

Kuroro did not know the secret behind her Scarlet Eyes. Shalnark had said in bypassing, that after he had been cursed with the judgement chain, the Kuruta had not tracked them down. They said she had laid low and like a puff of air disappeared. Kuroro was piece by piece solving a word problem. She had used her emperor time earlier when she had swung them both to safety. He sensed the great shift of her nen. It multiplied by tenfolds, then she was able to carry his weight.

...Maybe, the reason why she had not tracked them out was because she was beyond her limit from exhausting her eyes...?

For somebody with her nen capacity, talent and ability, her breathing was still unnormally labored. He walked towards the girl wanting to study more about the scarlet eyes and its secret.

The girl was unconcious and Kuroro could see, with the afternoon sun shining down, the number eleven spider glinting back at him. Today's performance showed, she had talent and the spider would benefit a lot from her.

His fingers traced the spider tattoo on her chest. The spider looked like it was moving with the rise and fall of her breathing, it looked like it was feeding onto her flesh. Maybe it was both the literal and figurative meaning of why he had placed the spider on her chest. He observed the spider for only so much before he buttoned up the girl's blouse for some decency when she wakes up.

Kurapika woke up after an hour to find dead bodies littering around her. Her head pounded lightly, she grabbed her satchel that was conveniently placed beside her and chewed on some pain killers. She had used her emperor time even for just a short time yet it still drained her out. Was this what Mizugen-sensei told her about loosing her nen in the process of her revenge? Kurapika shivered. She hoped not.

Kuroro was still sprawled on the ground, he looked like he had not moved from his spot when she had suddenly dozed off. But if the dead bodies around her were any indication of what happened, those filthy looking men, did not die on their own. They had tremendous help from her companion.

Kurapika looked around and corrected her previous observation, the men were only on one corner. They looked like they were bundled up.

She started to get up and Kuroro turned his head towards her. His face was impassive, he even actually looked bored like he was not out on a killing spree. He did not have his characteristic book with him. And his bandage was back on his forehead. He got up and dusted himself. Kurapika did too and was happy to note she was steady on her feet. He started to walk forward and Kurapika followed. Her brain was still mush, she turned around when she heard sparks. Kurapika thought they were under attack until she saw the dead bodies suddenly light with fire. Her conscience died down at not having had the chance to bury them.

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They travelled to an excluded mansion like property secluded in a tight jungle, having a gate larger than she had ever seen her whole life. It reminded her the time when she, Gon and Leorio had visied Killua in his family estate. The training had been very vigorous and Kurpaika had half-expected to undergo the same training to enter this fortress. She somehow got a vague idea on what this place was or who owned it for the matter.

She remained her distance and observed everything her eyes landed on. Everything was half-dead and the area did not look tended at all. What looked like Rose-mary bushes looked like it came from a horror movie. It was already brown, it had died some months ago.

As they neared what Kurapika thought as their living quarters, the plants looked a little alive compared to the entrance. If Kurapika walked ahead or beside Kuroro and looked at his face, she would have seen the dissappointment at all the waste. He noted that the plants he had admired were all dead. He could only imagine the damage done to the mansion. If the spiders never used the area then everything would be in perfect condition except for the dust and pests that would cover anything. If the more rowdy of his spiders where the ones who used the area, then...

They stopped walking when they reached the entrance of the house. Kuroro opened the door gently and Kurapika followed.

The house was surprisingly clean, it smelled of cleaning soap and detergent. He immediately saw two of his spiders in the middle of the living room. Shalnark was standing in the landing of the grand staircase. He was grinning ear to ear, "Ohayo, Danchou!"

They cleaned the area waiting for his return.

The other spider was none other than Machi. She sat on the pristine white sofa and gave their Danchou a small smile and welcomed him home. They saw Kurapika after Kuroro moved away from the door, "Ohayo, Kurapika-san..."

Kurapika nodded grimly and did not return the greeting.

Everything looked expensive and rare. With the chandelier sparkling and from Shalnark grinning ear to ear, Kurapika figured he had cleaned the area himself maybe with a little help from the girl in the sofa. She could find no fault in his product. She only had her small bag with her, with only meager belongings. She did not hide her roaming eyes, they scanned the ceiling and admired the cornice and the repeatitive mouldings of some sort. She crunched her nose and remembered what type of column it was. The house made use of doric columns, much like the greek who made use of it and made the Parthenon.

The floor was not that good looking compared to the ceiling, a flush carpet would make a great difference. The floor tiles were simple, but because they were clean it made a lot of difference.

"Kurapika," Shalnark waved her over the stairs, Kurapika moved towards him. He was grinning, "Welcome to our abode, fellow spider."

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A/N

Happy All Souls Day, Happy All Saints Day and Happy, Happy, Happy Halloween! :D

I hope you like this chapter. :D In the coming chapters, it shall be explained why they have this hide-out thingy aside from the abandoned church and other areas :D The Genei Ryodan finally makes an appearance! (At least some of them, I tried to make them all appear but it didn't work out well, hihi :D). :D the boob touching thingie came from my sister (thank you so much for the colorful explanation) who, when I asked her, What is romance?, touched her own boob and said: this is romance. XD XD (that explanation killed me. Hihi XD)

The physics part is a big blur, I took out some of my memory when my prof explained it to us, Thank you teacher! *insert heart*

I want to thank all those who have read, reviewed, favorited and followed this story. :D thank you so much for the support *gives kisses and hugs and lots and lots of chocolates. :D:D*

kuroneko nnch (thank you so much for your kind words :D I shall never abandon this fic. C:),

BabyBOOOOM (hahaha, yes! I can't even fanthom myself naming my dog Steak. Mrs. Porkchop on the otherhand is a littlecutename:D),

hitomi65 (Thank you so much! :D),

I'oOoMoOo (I will, thank you very much! :D),

Shingeki no brocolli ( That fight shall happen, but I don't know when though... I'm thinking about it :D Thank you! :D),

. .ribbons ( hihi *sheepish grin* the next time I read it, I cringed too with all the unedited mistakes. X.X I tried to salvage it and add some parts. :D I hope it looks better now.)

LunaNymph (Thank you very much! :D I wanted her to run aong with Leorio but like what you thought I asked myself: What will happen then? X.X Hahahah XD. In the coming chapters, I'll make them spend more time with each other :D:D the troupe came out (but their appearance is short, the next chapter they should be longer. :D) I'll really try my best! :D:D And I'll try to update faster with longer chappies :D)

Nobody knows (Thank you so much! I know right? Sometimes I wonder my morality about liking a very bad guy... The creators make them very very attractive then POOOF they're very bad... not too mention much too attractive than the actual good guys. :D, mihihi. I'll try my best to update faster with longer chappies:D)

Thank you everybody!

Love, Love,Love

Five


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